


Angstoberfest! 2020

by AWillfullDroll



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, Blood and Gore, Dark Magic, Despair, Drug Abuse, F/M, Guilt, Ingredients, Mild TTM spoiler, Mistaken Identity, Murder, One Shot Collection, Pandemic - Freeform, Regret, Self-Sacrifice, Suicide, TTM compliant, disguises, lovers at odds, necrophagia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:15:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 33
Words: 28,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26853544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AWillfullDroll/pseuds/AWillfullDroll
Summary: Rayla returns to new of Prince Callum getting betrothal offers and finds Soren to gather information first before rushing back to Callum.
Relationships: Callum & OC (the Dragon Prince), Callum/OC (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Claudia/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ezran & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Rayla/OC (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 219
Kudos: 114
Collections: Angestoberfest!





	1. Day 1: Toothpick

**Author's Note:**

> In case somebody is an idiot, there is a TW for suicide above.

Soren knocked on Callum’s door and quickly entered. “Hey, bud, Ezran wanted me, to…” Soren trailed off as he noticed the contraption on Callum’s desk. “Woah, is that the handheld crossbow you’re designing?!”

Callum turned his head and replied, “Hmm? Oh, yeah.”

“Oh man!” Soren chuckled as he rapidly closed the distance between them. He took a moment to observe the device in all it’s glory. Callum had made the stock out of stained Redwood, imported from Evenere. The metal parts were the familiar blue steel Soren had come to recognize as being Moonshadow steel. But the crowning achievement, at least to Soren, was the little divet on the right side. Callum had developed the means to make mini primals stones, and when loaded into the divet, would enchant the bolts. Callum had started working on them before Viren’s attack last year, and now that they were finally done, Soren was excited.

“Callum, they look beautiful!” Soren exclaimed, “Would you mind if I snuck this one out and gave it a test drive?”

Callum chuckled before Soren felt the one on the desk be put into his hands, along with a mini stone. “It is perfect but go have fun. You’ll have to start planning on how to incorporate those to keep my baby brother safe soon.”

Callum’s last words echoed in Soren’s mind. He should have realized something was up, it was his job to protect the Royal Family and he failed. _I couldn’t stop Viren from almost killing Callum, and I couldn’t save Callum when he really needed me. I’m a failure._

Soren felt a four-fingered hand on his shoulder realigning his mind back the present. Callum was gone, and he quit the Corwnguard. Electing to spend his days and pension drinking at a tavern and dealing with a mean Moonshadow bartender, provoking ire in the man’s tone. “Damn it, Brunie, I already told you I’ll pay off my tab today! I have my pension, just came in.”

“Not sure who Brunie is, but your pension isn’t why I’m here,” replied a familiar brogue.

Turning around, Soren found himself face to face with a female moonshadow elf. She looked older, but familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her. Everything about her screamed remember me, but being five ales deep already, Soren couldn’t.

“Come on, Soren, it hasn’t been that long, only five years.” The elf laughed slightly before taking a seat next to Soren. “Hot mud?”

“R-Rayla?” Soren guessed.

“Yes, congratulations. I finally found Viren and figured I should come back. I heard that Callum’s been getting a bunch of proposals, so I thought track down an old friend to get the lay of the land if I want to try and get back together with my boyfriend.”

“Di-Did my Dad not tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Rayla inquired.

Not even five minutes after Soren had left Callum’s study, he returned. He had droped the mini ocean stone and caused a miniflood on his water. Again, knocking on the Soren swiftly entered Callum’s study.

“Hey, Callum, I dropped the stone, can I get…” Soren’s voice died in his throat when he saw Callum. His head was tilted back towards Soren, and her could a glint of metal poking out of his scalp.

“C-Callum?” Soren asked as he slowly approached him. “Callum, buddy, talk to me. Callum?”

As Soren inched closer, he saw more concerning signs. His friend’s eyes were closed, and his chest wasn’t moving. A hand crossbow lay on the floor, and the odor of burnt hair gradually appeared. Soren froze when he saw the blood soaking Callum’s chest, the feathers of the bolt protruding from between Callum’s teeth.

“CALLUM!”

“A year after you left, Callum and I came back. We had gone to look for you, but we couldn’t keep up with you. Two years after that, Viren attacked Katolis-”

“Yeah I heard about that, but I was lead astray by Claudia and-”

“He and Callum fought. He almost killed Callum, before Callum took his hand. He told Callum that you were dead. We all thought you were dead.”

“Well I’m not!”

“I can see that now,” Soren sighed, unsure how to tell Rayla what happened. “Prince Callum has been getting betrothal offers, but Prince Callum is Ezran’s child.”

“What,” Rayla asked, the confusion on her face only lasting for a few seconds before it seemed to click for her. “Oh, Ezran named his kid after his brother. That makes sense. So then, how’s my Callum?”

Soren looked away from Rayla and finished his mug. He couldn’t bear to look her in the eyes when he told her that he had failed to keep his friend safe. “Dead. He’s dead, Rayla.”

“What?” Rayla replied, shock overtaking her features.

“He-he killed himself, almost eighteen months ago now.”


	2. Moving On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla returns to Katolis to find death everywhere. Rushing to Callum's side, she learns that even if you remove from it, the world keeps going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Day 2 of Angstoberfest, here this tasty morsel. Personally, this is one of my favorites that I have written so far.

Rayla paused as the smell of smoke reached her. With a shake of her head she tried to dismiss as a campfire as she kept walking towards Katolis. She had been gone for six years, and it was high time she returned, especially since she still loved and dreamt of Callum every night.  
However, the smell of smoke only grew stronger and the sounds of battle reached her ears. The clashing of steel was unmistakable as fear grew in here heart. Her thoughts started to race, _I killed Viren, so who could be behind this?_  
Breaking into a sprint, it wasn’t long before she passed the first dead body. A soldier in Katolin garb, complete with the broken chain link. Even sprinting by it, she couldn’t miss the several dozen arrows sticking out the woman. One body quickly turned into two, then three, then ten, then eighty. By the time Rayla reached the first building, she had lost track. Buildings were on fire, and half destroyed. Bodies and pieces were strewn about, but she had yet to find a single living soul, and the sounds of battle were dimming, even though she was undoubtedly closer to it than she was before.

  
It was only a few minutes more before she reached the castle and saw her first signs of life. Medics rushing between wounded and prisoners being shackled. He heart dropped as she recognized Soren and Corvus among the dead. They were Crownguard, which meant that someone in the royal family had been fighting.  
“Callum?!” Rayla shouted into the mess, struggling to be heard over shouts for dressing and the cries of wounded and dying, “Has anyone seen Prince Callum?”  
“In his chambers!” another voice shouted back.  
Darting into the castle, Rayla raced towards where she remembered Callum’s room being, Rayla quickly found her path blocked by a bloodied, but very living General Amaya with a battered Gren alongside her. “Amaya, Gren!”  
Rayla rushed up to the pair wrapped them in a hug.  
“Is that you Rayla?” Gren squeaked.  
“Yeah, what happened here?”  
“Claudia and an elf,” Gren explained flatly as Amaya signed.  
“Where were you Rayla?”  
“I was chasing Viren. I caught up with him and killed him, about three months ago and started heading back. Do you know where Callum is?”  
Rayla couldn’t help but noticed that Gren seemed to grow a pale.  
“A-Are you sure you want to see him?”  
“Yes, I heard he was in his quarters!”  
Amaya made a brief sign that Rayla didn’t understand, with the limited sign language she picked before leaving to find Viren, and Gren sighed. “Go up the stairs and take a left. Fifth right, he’ll the first on the left.”  
“Stairs, left, fifth right, and left, got it, thanks Gren, Amaya!” Rayla hollered as she bolted up the stairs.  
It didn’t take her long to burst into Callum’s room. “Callum!”  
Rayla froze as she laid eyes on Callum. He was tucked into a large bed, his sheets covered in blood, with several gashes on his face, and the parts of him that weren’t covered in blood were pale.  
“Callum!” Rayla cried as she bolted forward to Callum, only to find a stocky man step infront of her.  
“Ma’am, please stay back, I’m trying to treat this patient.”  
“M-Marius…” Callum called out weakly.  
In a flash the Marius had turned around and was kneeling beside Callum.  
“Please, your Highness, don’t speak, conserve your ener-”  
“C-Call-“  
“M-My wife. W-wh-where is Caris?” Callum stuttered.  
Rayla froze. Wife, Caris? Does he not remember my name?  
“Callum, it’s me, it’s Rayla,” she said hopefully as she approached Callum.  
“R-Rayla? D-Do know what happened to Caris?” Callum pleaded with her as her shakily extended a hand towards her.  
It was only when she grasped Callum’s hand that she realized he was wearing a wedding band.  
“Callum, a-are you married?” Rayla asked, stunned. “You-you didn’t wait for me?”  
“Y-you don’t leave the people y-you lo-lo-love.” Callum gasped, “P-P-Please, d-do you know anything?”  
“What about Claudia and her elf companion?”  
“I-I killed -C-C-Claud… A-Aar-a-vos, l-l-lost hi-h-his hands. C-Ca-C” Callum puttered.  
“I’m sorry, prince Callum. Princess Caris did not survive her wounds,” the man beside Rayla answered.  
“J-Just a-as we-w-well. Don’t want…to … live wi-without her.” Callum managed before he grew still.  
In shock, Rayla watched as a single tear ran down his cheek. “B-but you threw yourself off a cliff for me.” Rayla softly murmured before her own tears started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed my piece for Day 2 of Angstoberfest, after all, it's a month for celebrating the angst introduced by TTM, and the macabre one-shots.  
> For being such great readers, I'll even give you a hint. My piece for day 3 is pretty chill...


	3. Day Three: On The Rocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla returns only to find that Callum is still out looking for her. So she goes out looking for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this a chapter close to me. Rewrote the entire latter half, and absolutely fell in love with the piece. It was a delightful and fun piece to write... So you know. Not good for you, though.
> 
> Feedback is always delightful.

Rayla took a deep breath as the crown guard fanned into the room. Of the places she had been, chasing Viren and Claudia, the air in Katolis always seemed different. Fresher, somehow.

Suppressing a giggle, Rayla knew why. The air was always better around Callum. Maybe it was their love, or just his sky magic, but things were always better with him around.

“Rayla!” called out a familiar voice.

Rayla barely turned around in time to see Ezran before he wrapped her in a hug. Rayla returned the hug, marveling at the changes that three years had wrought. Ezran was taller, a lot taller, nearly as tall as she was when they had first met, if not taller. And aside from a slightly deeper voice, an angry, red pimple, and traces of peach fuzz on his upper lip, Ezran was still Ezran.

“Wow, Ezran,” Rayla gasped as they separated. She barely had to look down at him now. “You’ve gotten so big!”

“Well,” laughed Ezran, “It has been three years!”

“It’s been too long,” Rayla agreed.

“I hope this isn’t just a visit?” Ezran quickly inquired, with a raised eyebrow. However, the smile on his face never lessened.

“No, I did what I needed to do. I have the coins, and Viren is…” Rayla paused, “Well, he and Claudia won’t be a problem anymore.”

“Oh, man this going to be awesome! Just like old times!”

“Speaking of old times,” Rayla replied, “Where’s your brother? I got something for the loud mage.”

Rayla noticed Ezran’s face fall as she finished. “What?”

“H-He’s not with you?” Ezran asked.

“No. I left in the middle of the night from the moon Nexus because I didn’t want to risk him being hurt. Why would he be with…” Rayla’s voice cut off as she realized that Callum might have tried to find. “E-Ezran, did Callum try to find me?”

Ezran turned away from her, and his voice was quiet, he sounded almost like a kid again, a kid worrying about the lives of his brother and friends.

“He left. The very next night. He told me that he knew that something would happen to you, and he had to find you,” Ezran sniffed, “I-I h-ha-haven’t seen him since.”

**_ One month later… _ **

Rayla woke up with a start, wildly looking around before realizing that it was a dream. Claudia and Viren were indeed dead, and she was alive. She was looking for Callum, the sun to her moon, the missing piece to her life.

After calming herself with a few minutes of deep breathing, Rayla stood up and quickly packed up her little camp. Callum had proven difficult to track, but Rayla and the spy networks of half of Xadia and the Pentarchy got lucky. A drawing of Callum’s was spotted in town, and even though it was a few years old, Rayla was hopeful, since his scarf had even been found in a local general store, less than a week. Callum had been trying to find and rescue her, so he would have left something behind for a rescue team to find.

After asking around in town, she got word that up until a year ago, there had a human living up here. Rayla only had a few days to look for him until the snow started, and she was resolved to scour every inch of this mountain to find any sign or trail of him. If she stuck close to her previous whereabouts, shouldn’t be as hard, considering that she was here for six months, about two years prior.

Rayla smiled to her as she climbed out of her sleeping bag and started breaking down her camp. Just thinking about how Callum had been right on her tail until the very last bit, was more than enough to help her ignore the chilly air.

It was just unfortunate that the town bordered the Uncharted Forest. Rayla was going check the mountain today, and head back tomorrow. No use in staying here, ifthetrail’s cold. Not if she go and stay at the Storm Spire or Katolis receive information from nearly kingdom and source of authority on the Continent, via Queen Zubeia, Katolis, and Lux Aurea.

Huffing a little in the altitude, she finished the break down and shouldered her pack, and started off. Her mind racing with everything she would say to Callum when she found him. She tried not think about the things that she wanted to do to him. While they sounded fun, they may not be the best ‘I’m back!’ conversation starters.

The day passed quickly as Rayla hiked over the mountain, using the map of and known sheltered areas that she got from of the locals. Of the twenty locations, Rayla had checked fifteen, and the other four would be checked tomorrow on her back down the mountain and to Katolis. She was going to set up camp in the fifth, since it was a small hidden alcove that was supposed to extremely verdant. Definitely a place Callum might have set up shop. Or at least a place they could go back to together once she found if it lived up to the rumors of its beauty.

Rayla grimaced as she shifted her pack to enter the narrow canyon; her focus narrowed in on the moment. Some jagged edges on the canyon walls would definitely dissuade potential pursuer, making this a potentially great place to lay low. _Difficult to get in to_ , Rayla thought, _but safe. Just be safe Callum._

She froze as the walls expanded suddenly. The locals had not been kidding. It was beautiful, and it definitely would have been verdant, if it wasn’t for the thick layer of frost covering everything.

The handful of trees were coated in moss, which also hung from their branches, ferns sprouted from the limbs of the trees and the canyon floor. A few low and thorny looking plants appeared almost purple, daring Rayla to touch them. A quick touch revealed to Rayla that the blue layer of frost over their leaves was the cause.

Rayla let a mirthful laugh escape her lips as she smiled, the sound echoing in the trees. _Callum will love this. It’s… Beyond words. Only thing its missing is a waterfall, and Callum._

Rayla set about scouring the little oasis for anything that looked like it might provide some shelter. She was about to give up when she found the cave, hidden in the very back of the little slice of frosted, verdant beauty. Rayla had to ease by a massive stalactite of ice to get in it. But once in, Rayla was more than a bit grateful for the ice nearly blocking the entrance. It helped shield the cave even further from the wind and elements.

After nearly an hour, Rayla was cozying up to her newly made fire as her food rations warmed over it. Watching the shadows of the flames dance across the bare rock, while night fell outside. Her eyes chased one from near the entrance to the end of the cave, until a shiny glint attracted her attention.

With narrowed eyes, Rayla crawled towards the glint. Reaching forward, she felt her hand grasp burlap, before dragging it out from its hiding place and into the light. Frayed and almost striped of the metal, she could still recognize it the object. It was Callum’s bag, and there was something in it, judging by its weight. Cautiously flipping the top, the firelight revealed a book. Callum’s art book.

 _Callum, takes this everywhere…Why would he leave it behind?_ Rayla asked herself. _It’s been here for a bit, and I’ve already checked the immediate area._

Hesitantly, almost reverently, she opened it. The first page a drawing of her sleeping. Smiling to herself, she contented herself to flipping through Callum’s book. Drawings of her, and Ezran. Soren, General Amaya, Queen Janai, and Luajnne. Rayla noticed that less than a quarter way, the drawings shifted to her entirely.

Rayla frowned ad she turned past the fifteenth drawing of her in a row. This must have been after Callum left to look for her. Just knowing that faded Rayla’s smile and turned it into a frown. She had left the way she did to keep him safe. Safe from Viren, safe from her nightmares.

Suddenly, the drawings stopped. Flipping through to the end, Rayla found writing on the very last page. A sinking feeling in her gut, as she began reading.

‘I’m cold, tired, and hungry. I can’t get through the canyon with my broken leg. I’m sorry, Ezran, I left to find Rayla, my other half. I can’t find her, And I think she is dead. I’m leaving you alone. If this finds you, somewhere, I’m sorry, and I love you. Never forget that. And Rayla, if you are somehow reading this, I’m sorry, that I wasn’t strong enough to find you, to help you. I love you.’

Rayla fought the tears that she felt trying to flow, before tearing her eyes from the book and throwing it against the wall. A strangled sobbed escaped her mouth as she scrambled out of the cave. Rayla let out her tears and another sob, before turning around and freezing in terror.

The light from the fire shone through the ice, illuminating a frozen figure. Almost her height, wearing a familiar jacket and scarf. Crossed arms and closed eyes, made the human look at peace. But to Rayla, it was a horror, straight from her nightmares.

Rayla wailed, “CAAAAALLLLLLUUUUUMMMMM!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope that this lived to the mini hype I created. No hints for day 4, though. Not sure which one should get to shine yet. Actually, this is my favorite piece at the moment, even tying with a few chapters of Recrudescence, Blood Night, and Pragmatic.


	4. Day Four: Spontaneous Gifts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After her vanishing from the Moon Nexus, Callum caught up to her and brought her back. Toigether with Soren they defeated Viren and Aaravos, but five years after that, Rayla is still testless, and Callum can't take it anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoys this entry, it was fun one to come up with and write.

“Damn it Rayla! You can’t keep doing this?!” Callum shouted.

“Keep doing what?!” Rayla challenged, “Making things right?!”

“Worrying me!”

“I don’t want you to get hurt, asshole!”

“Fuck that,” Callum argued, “I love you, and you keep vanishing. Gone for months at a time-”

“Righting the wrongs that being inflicted by assholes worldwide, Callum!” Rayla shouted back.

“Leaving me with no way of knowing if you’re even alive! If you died out there-”

“What the fuck! Callum! I’m not going to fucking die!”

“Not like I would know if you fucking did! I would just be left wondering what the fuck happened!”

“I’m not going to die!”

“So if you don’t come back one day, I should just assume that you met someone else and decided that I wasn’t even worth being told that we were break-” Callum froze he felt like a switch flicked off somewhere in him. Rayla only glared and turned around, continuing with her shouting.

“Oh, so that’s what this all about!? Your insecurities?! Typical, so fucking typical of you!” Rayla shouted, throwing her arms in the air. “We have a responsibility, Callum!”

“R-R-Ray,” Callum gasped as he stepped forward, as pain blossomed in his head. Another step, and he found himself unable to move his arms. “R-R-R”

Callum staggered into a table and fell to the floor with a crash. Callum found himself unable to speak, as Rayla turned around to face him. The anger on her face quickly replaced with concern as she raced to kneel beside him.

“Callum! Callum, talk to me, Cal, anything.”

Callum could only groan as the pain he felt in his head and body consumed him.

**_ A Week Later… _ **

“You left again, Rayla.” Callum stated slowly, carefully trying to get each word out.

“Cal, it wasn’t anything dangerous, just some bandits,” Rayla explained with a tired sigh.

“Let guards-”

“They have had months to deal with it, Callum. They weren’t.”

“Ray-la,” Callum replied slowly, struggling with her name. “I ca-n’t do this, anymore.”

“What?” Rayla replied, the stunned look on her face broke Callum’s heart almost as much as what he was about to do.

“Can’t keep wondering if you will come back,” Callum replied, enunciating each word.

“Callum, what’re you saying?”

“Can’t be to-together,” Callum struggled.

“What?!” Rayla shrieked, “Calllum, I love you, this isn’t rational. Just give it a fe days and we’ll ta-”

“I can’t move an en-tire half of my body. Worry-ing a-bout you will kill me,” Callum interrupted in his slow and strenuous talking. “I ca-an’t ask you to choose, un-fair to you. You are a h-hero. S-So I ma-ade the choice for you.”

**_ Almost six years later… _ **

Rayla felt her tears falling as she watched from the back of the crowd as Ezran lit Callum’s pyre. The little hand in hers squeezed hers in support.

“It’s okay Mommy, the Prince is going up to ancestors.” The child’s voice reached her ears.

Rayla almost laughed at the irony of the situation, and she would have if the grief wasn’t this fresh. After Callum suffered his debilitating stroke and broke up with her, she ran off. Spent her time fighting and killing bandits. That only lasted a few months before she couldn’t deny the truth any longer. She was pregnant with Callum’s child. It forced her to do what Callum had wanted her to; stay put.

She had thought about going back to Callum, but could never bring herself to, out of shame. Ultimately, she had been the cause of his stroke, and she knew that the doctor had said that Callum’s wouldn’t live much longer, even without more stress. That given the severity of his first stroke, it would only get worse.

Even when she had given birth to their son, she was too ashamed. So, she left the Pentarchy and settled in Silvergrove. It was only recently, when little Callum began asking questions about his father, that Rayla felt like she had to courage to confront her past and apologize to the people who meant the most to her.

 _But I was too late_ , Rayla thought to herself. She had gotten to Katolis, with their five-year-old son, only to hear that Callum had passed the night before. Leaving her with only sadness and self-hatred. She had spent all that time, disappearing to pursue Justice on her own because she always felt inadequate. Callum was so smart, and handsome, and he had a way with words…

She just had her swords, putting her feelings into words, and accepting help… Well, they weren’t something she could do. Even forgiving somebody was beyond her, try as she might, she never learned to let go of the past, not really. In truth, she had learned since having their son, that she had never really grown. Not since the Storm Spire, when she broke off whatever they were, intent on dying to make up for someone else’s error. An error that it turned out have never been committed. Callum had more strength than she ever did, he forgave her, welcomed her back, and loved her. Every time she came back, no matter how many times she slinked out in the middle of the night, no matter how rarely she sent him word of how she was.

And somehow, despite his strength, she killed him. She used his love for her against him, her every action only twisting the knife deeper and deeper until Callum had to cut her out of his life. And even then, the damage had been done, and untimely death, but a forgone conclusion. Because of her, they both lost the loves of their lives, he would never know his son, and his son would never know his father, or how much he resembled him, or acted like him. It broke Rayla’s heart even more than she thought was possible.

“Come on, honey, we should go.”

“Alright momma,” Callum replied, his tiny voice carried none of the sadness and guilt that hers did.

“Rayla?!” called Ezran’s voice from the pyre.

Rayla hurriedly picked up her son and ran. Her previous courage was long gone, swallowed in the despair that threatened to consume her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one that is close to me. Mostly because of the irony. Honestly, I laughed quite a bit as it fell together perfectly.  
> My entry for Day 5 has some dancing, can't fit angst into that right?
> 
> In case my write didn't convey it accurately, Callum suffered from a stroke and his right half becomes paralyzed, hence the weird dialogue. He has also an underlying condition (from his father... head canon for the purpose of this one shot) leaving him with a strong propensity for having a stroke. Entirely research, no experience, so if you have experience with this and feel comfortable doing so, please let me know how I did.   
> With that, take care, I'll see you in the comments, or tomorrow.


	5. Day Five: Moondance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After returning to Katolis and learning that Callum left to find her and still hasn't returned, Rayla his trail as far she can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope people enjoy this fluffy dancing piece. I would if it was a fluffy dancing piece. That said, it isn't named after the Van Morrison song for nothing!

Rayla had frowned when Ezran had told her that Callum went looking for her and never came back. Naturally, she left within the hour to go look for her stupid, loud mage. At over four years old, there was no trail to pick up, so she went off what Ezran told her. Callum had said that he would follow the river to the Moon Nexus and talk to Lujanne before heading east. So, she had followed his route. Along the way she heard tales of a human who mastered every primal.

It was obvious from the very start that this was Callum, and Rayla was astonished that he had been on just behind her every step of the way. At least until this point, this was where the trail ran cold. No stories of human primal mage on the Pentarchy side of the border, aside from the old ones about Callum. She had scoured high and low, nearly giving up when she had found his book of art, in a high mountain cave.

After months of scouring Duren, she returned to moon nexus, intending to make a brief stop, on her way back to Katolis to check with Ezran on any news from the Pentarchy spy network, regarding Callum. Rayla was just hoping that Callum had found his way to Katolis.

It wasn’t such a far-fetched hope, she crossed into Duren only about six months before killing Viren and Aaravos in their sleep in Neolandia. She needed Callum to help her uncoin the victims she had been lucky enough to liberate; she even recognized some of the faces in the coins, her parents and Runaan were among them.

So, when Lujanne suggested it, Rayla had naturally frozen. _Would you like to check the portal?_

Such a simple but loaded question. One that Rayla didn’t want to ask. One that she couldn’t ask.

“No, Lujanne!” growled Rayla at the elder moonshadow elf. “I don’t need to, Callum is alive!”

 _He has to be!_ Rayla almost added before closing her mouth and glancing down to her food. She knew it was really worms and not the moonberry pie and pasta that she saw, but at the moment they were a lot more appetizing than the scenario Lujanne was proposing.

“If he isn’t in Katolis, you’ll come back here to check anyways. You are here now, and it’s a full moon tonight, so it wouldn’t hurt to check, would it?” Lujanne reasoned with a sigh. “Besides, you’re probably right. If the rumors I’ve heard from back are true, then Callum is an archmage, and there is very little that can kill even a novice arch mage. Even Avizandum would have struggled with an archmage. The last archmage, Aaravos, had to be locked away.”

“I’m pretty sure that the rumors are true. I’ve encountered them throughout Xadia.”

“Well, then a journey to the pool might provide you with a new insight.” The elder elf reasoned with a smile.

“You’re right,” Rayla, conceded.

As Lujanne stood up, Rayla asked, “Wait, don’t you need to get Allen to rebuild the Nexus?”

“No,” Lujanne laughed. “Not long after you left, I realized that, Callum was right. Humans and elf don’t have to be so divided. I just sent word to Silvergrove and other settlements, pilgrimages are going to start in the next month. And there will be a moonshadow elf garrison here, along with an Imperial garrison in the town.”

“Besides,” Lujanne continued, “You are going to be carrying one of Phoe-Phoe’s feathers. Worse case, I come in after you.”

Rayla on the ground, waiting for the moon to rise, her mind racing with every possibility. It was possible that Callum was dead, but she hoped not, she hoped that Lujanne was right, about very little being capable of killing an Archmage.

Doubt and fear grew in the pit of her stomach until well after the moon had risen and Lujanne called for her. The older moonshadow elf seemed to recognize that she wasn’t in the mood for small talk as they began the ritual. Callum taking the Lujanne’s place in her mind’s eye, recalling how they danced to get into Silvergrove, and again here, five years ago.

“Hors asperta!” Lujanne declared, her voice dismissing the vision of Callum.

Rayla could hear the thrumming of the lake from here and let out a sigh as she tried in vain to hold onto the last memories, she had of Callum, just in case. With a clenched jar, and an air of apprehension she followed Lujanne to the water’s edge. Turning to her Lujanne offered Rayla one of Phoe-Phoe’s feathers.

Dread and bile threatened to rise from her gut as Rayla took the feather. Even attempting felt… Wrong. Like she was tempting fate. Even if she never found Callum, she could maintain plausible deniability if she didn’t check the space between life and death. And even then, it wasn’t a guarantee, if Callum had managed to move on…

 _No_ , Rayla rebuked herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _Callum loves me. If he died, he would to know what happened to me. But that doesn’t matter, because he isn’t dead. He can’t be._

Opening her eyes, Rayla felt the dread disappear. For a moment, she felt completely calm, and at peace. But as she dove forward, she felt the familiar terror of water crash into her, while the dread and concern for Callum returned with a vengeance. Her eyes closed as she made contact with the water.

Rayla opened her eyes to find herself back in that plane. A place of live and death, death nor life, the duality of existence of itself. Staving off a panic attack, she walked up the path, and passed the moonhenge’s former glory before a large crack echoed in the sky. In a flash, everything was different.

The new scenery was all too familiar, the entrance to Silvergrove. A translucent Zym ran around her. Gathering the courage, Rayla looked up to see a spirit.

Though just an outline, the scarf around its neck, and shaggy hair told her everything she needed to know. It was Callum, he was dead. Because of her, because she left him, and he left to look for her. In trying to save him from her nightmare, she got him killed.

“Callum,” Rayla asked, in shock. The soul just gave a small, sad smile and a slight nod.

“Callum, no,” Rayla asked, grief creeping into her voice as she continued, “W-What happened?”

“I died,” Callum offered with the same, sad smile on his face and raised his left hand, “Care to dance?”

Trembling, Rayla raised her right up to his. She could feel his hand against, and realized with sadness, that his were no longer soft, they were tough and calloused. Maybe part of how he died, which was her fault.

“Callum,” Rayla whispered, I-I’m sorry!”

“Rayla,” Callum replied, “It’s not your fault.”

Tears formed in Rayla’s eyes as Callum began to move. She immediately recognized it as her key to get into Silvergrove, and she let herself get lost in the moment, staring into Callum’s face. Her mind projected the face she knew over his, and she could feel his handsome dorky face burn itself into her mind.

It was an exhilarating minute, but as they finished the dance, Callum began to fade, an elated look overtaking his features. He spoke to her rapidly, traying to say everything before he was out of time.

“Rayla, this is not your fault. Tell Ezran I’m sorry, that I love him. I love you, Rayla. Please find happiness.”

“Please, don’t go, Callum!” Rayla begged the spirit as it rapidly faded from.

Only his face was left when the tears she had been holding back burst forth. The feeling of his lips pressed up against hers lasted for less than a second, but sensation already seared into her memory. Opening her eyes to find herself alone, she knew that she would rather die than forget how his lips felt on hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the entry for Day Five, it was very fun to write.  
> I am loving angstoberfest! Probably need to do this again next year, with prompts and organize it.


	6. Day Six: Mastery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year of looking for her, Callum realizes that if he tracks Viren instead, he's bound to find Rayla, rather than trying to track someone who has been actively hiding her trail from him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy Day six, it is a bit late (about noonish as opposed to the morning, but...

Callum grimaced as he pondered the trail before him. He had been looking for Rayla ever since she left, nearly a year and a half ago, now. Tracking her was impossible, so Callum elected for the next best thing. He knew that she would be after Viren, after the discovery that Viren was alive. So, if he tracked and followed Viren, he would eventually meet up with Rayla. Together, they could stop Viren, but just one of them, stood no chance. Especially not with Claudia by his side.

A sound behind him, made something click in his mind. _The trail… it’s a trap! Viren set a trap for me!_

“Haaaa!” Shouted a high voice, before the sound dying in their throat.

Callum whirled around to find himself face to face with Claudia. Her half white hair drawing his eyes, and he barely concealed anger as he realized it’s significance. _Viren fell. He did die. But Claudia… Claudia brought him back!_

“Callum…”

“Claudia,” Callum coldly regarded her as he scanned the surrounding forest, keeping Claudia in his periphery vision the entire time.

“Callum, it’s great to see you!” Caludia exclaimed as she approached him, only for Callum to back up. Claudia approach halted as a concerned look appeared on her face. “Callum, what are you doing?”

“Backing away from you,” Callum replied.

“What? Why?” Caludia’s voice cracked as Callum could tell she was starting to panic.

“You brought him back, didn’t you?”

“Who?”

“Viren, Claudia. You brought him back.”

“I had to. He’s my dad, Callum! I had to bring him back after the elf killed him.” Claudia replied anxiously.

“Rayla didn’t kill Viren,” Callum replied as he sized up his former friend. “I did. I chose to save Rayla over Viren.”

“Callum, why? Dad meant everything to me and Soren, and he did a lot for you and Ez-”

“He usurped the crown! He ordered Soren to kill Ezran and I! He nearly killed Rayla, he-”

“Why do you care about an elf?!” Claudia hissed, the venom in her voice was unmistakable.

“Because I love her!” Callum growled back.

“WHAT?!”

Callum panted as he watched Claudia’s breathing stop. His heart felt like it was going to explode, and he felt sick to his stomach. _I killed her,_ he thought, _it was her or me, but… I actually killed someone_.

“Claudia!” called out a voice. Viren’s voice. “Where are you?”

Callum closed his mouth and took even, deep breaths as he retreated back into the brush and shadow. His thoughts turning towards anger as he heard Viren come closer, no doubt using the trail as opposed to beating it through the brush.

“I got her, Claudia, I got that pesky elf bitch that’s been following us. She’s safe and sound in my collect-” Callumheard hos vpoce cut off as Viren came into view, and the man’s gaze settled on the body of his daughter. Her head twisted at an unnatural angle, her eyes were dead and lifeless, and her mouth frozen in an expression of horror and astonishment.

“Claudia!” Viren roared as he rushed to her side and fell to his knees. As Viren cradled Claudia in his arms, Callum could tell the moment Viren accepted that his daughter was dead. Tears formed in the older man’s eyes and he seemed to exude anguish, but Callum was more focused on Viren previous words.

_Pesky elf bitch that’s been following us… In my collection. Rayla._

As anger consumed him, Callum rushed out of his hiding place with a growl and barreled into Viren. Causing Viren to drop his daughter, and land on his back. While Callum scrambled a bit further away before standing up and turning to face the furious Dark Mage.

“Prince Callum,” Viren darkly greeted him.

“Viren,” Callum growled with equal vitriol.

“You killed her, didn’t you?”

“She brought you back,” Callum sneered, “Can’t have you cheat death twice. You and your shortcuts.”

Viren only growled as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a paw, “Htaerb eh-”

Callum was more than ready, quickly drawing a rune and firing off a spell, “Aspiro!”

The spell caught Viren and knocked him off his feet. Callum darted forward and closed the distance between to put him close enough to Viren to punch the older man a few times before backing up and drawing a _fulminus_ rune with a few extra bits attached.

“What? Where is the primal stone that you stole?!” Viren spat.

“I don’t need one.” Callum replied, “Where is Rayla?”

“The elf cunt?” Viren spat before grinning. “Safe, where I sleep. But you’ll never find them.”

“I will.”

“Not if I kill you first, Erasaer-”

“FULMINUS MORTUUS!”

Clearly, unprepared, Callum watched as Viren’s eye’s widened as the man tried to dodge out of the way, only for the lightning bolt to connect and throws Viren backwards into a tree. Even over the spell, Callum could hear Viren’s back break when he hit the tree. Once Viren’s body slumped to the ground, Callum could see his shirt was gone, the black burn covering his torso, with angry red welts already forming up his neck and arms. The smell of burnt flesh hung in the air, Viren was definitely dead.

Turning away from Viren, Callum looked at the trail Viren had come down. If he squinted hard enough, he could just make out a rocky outcropping.

 _Probably,_ Callum thought, _a cave over there where they had been sleeping._

“Illaqueo!” shouted out a new voice.

Before Callum could turn, he was firmly wrapped in earth, his arms bound to his sides. After a brief struggle, Callum realized that he was trapped and would be until the owner of the voice released him.

“Well, well,” came the voice again, its rich, dulcet tones tried to lull Callum, but he only found that it spoke directly to his fear. Something was very wrong here.

Stepping into view, Callum found himself facing a tall Star-touched elf. Smirking, the elf seemed to glance up and down Callum, judging him.

“A human mage. I thought that was impossible.”

“I assure you, it is not,” Callum replied, “What do you want with me?”

“Prince Callum, I assume.”

“Yes.”

“Claudia talked about you,” The elf said, “A lot.”

“You know me, but I don’t know you. I’d say that puts me at a disadvantage.”

“Indeed, it does,” the elf chuckled. “But my name is irrelevant, to you anyways.”

Callum said nothing as the elf continued on, “You see, it is difficult, even for elfs to forge an arcanum. Thus, there has never been a master of all seven primals. The closest to doing, is me, with six. I don’t understand the moon.” The elf stopped, before staring into Callum’s eyes.

“But you do. I can see it in your eyes, Prince Callum. And,” the elf continued, drawing close enough that Callum could feel his breath. “I hope you don’t mind if I take it.”

“Free everyone that Viren kidnapped into his collection, and I’ll teach you.”

The elf laughed at that before beginning. “No, you misunderstand me, Callum. I don’t learn, I take! Htgnerts ym si egdelwonk rouy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still more days of angst to go, good luck getting through it. Day 7 will be... Blissful...


	7. Day Seven: Euphoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla returns and learns from Ezran that Callum is in a bad state, and sets out to try and save him from the dragon's den.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING DRUG ABUSE
> 
> Before forewarned, this one is about drug ab/use.

Callum coughed and wheezed as he shakily poured some of the pitcher’s contents onto the fire. He was already starting to come down and had to prolong it. If he didn’t, well he didn’t like to be left alone with himself, not these days.

Within minutes, he felt it starting to work. His muscles relaxed, his mind calmed, and the shakes ceased as the smoke billowed out and enveloped him. He could only lay back against the wall and embrace the bliss that he found in very moment, his mind empty, and his pain buried.

“Callum’s here?” Rayla asked with doubt in her voice.

“He is,” Ezran insisted, “Are you sure that you want to see him? He hasn’t been himself in a long time, and there is a reason I had to ban him from the palace.”

“Which is?” Rayla raised a brow.

“He steals everything that isn’t nailed down. All to feed his addiction.”

“To shadowwood?” Rayla asked incredulously, “How does one eve get high off Shadowwood?”

“First off, elves can’t,” Soren replied, “But humans can. Ever wonder why, even when human lived in Xadia, why none lived within a day’s travel of the moon shadow lands.”

“Shadowwood is highly addictive to humans.” Soren replied.

“And dangerous,” added Janai.

“Dangerous?! Why have you let Callum keep doing it?!” Rayla shrieked.

“You have to want to get better in order to break any addiction. Callum doesn’t want to. He still thinks you are dead.” Soren answered, “All we can do otherwise, is not help him do it. Ezran stripped him of his pay, and titles. He’s not allowed in the palace, either! The banning of shadowwood is being discussed in the pentarchy, but it’s Xadia prime lumber and no other kingdom is having this big of a problem with it.

“Just wait till their new shops burn down,” Janai grumbled.

“Okay here’s what we’ll do, I’m going to go in, and drag his sorry ass out, we lock him in a room for a month, only to be let out under one of our supervision and several armed guards.

“Alright,” Ezran conceded, “I’ll order a room to have it’s windows sealed with bricks.”

Rayla stomped angrily into the stop and passed a protesting shopkeeper. Going in the back she went down the stairs and opened a of doors before she found herself in a smoky room. It wasn’t hard to find Callum, not with his scarf wrapped around his neck.

“Callum!” Rayla barked as she rapidly approached him, his head staring at the floor.

She froze when he picked his head up. He was gaunt, with large bags under his eyes and blistered lips.

“Callum!” Rayla shouted she hurried to his side, her concern completely the place of her anger. Once she got close, she could hear him wheezing and gasping.

“Ray?” Callum questioned looked up at her.

“Yeah, it’s me, Callum,” she softly replied.

“I avenged you,” Callum wheezed.

“Hush, Callum, lets get you out of here.”

“N-No. Can’t leave. You are here,” Callum gasped before coughing, “Viren said he killed you. So, I killed him, and Claudia. But that elf got away.”

“Callum, you can tell me all about it, after I get you out of here.” Rayla replied firmly as she tried to pull Callum up, only for him to fall back to the floor.

“Callum, how long have you been here?”

“They said that you can see people you lost, been here ever since, waiting to see you.” Callum happily gasped as Rayla rolled him onto his back. “Mad that you left, but I love you.”

“I love you, too, Callum,” Rayla replied as she hoisted him over her shoulder.

“I’ll be with you soon, just have to warn,” Callum started but broke into a coughing fit as Rayla left the room and made her way to the stairs. “Have to warn Ezran about Aara…”

Callum's second coughing fit continued until she was in the shop and ended abruptly, as she exited the shop. She briefly nodded at the little entourage to back and give Callum some space as Soren helped her lay him gently on the ground while two guards came over with a litter.

As Rayla stood up, she noticed something was off, and hoped it was just her fear and not real. Her heart sank as she watched the guards put Callum in the litter and speed off to the castle, while their group took their sweet time.

“Rayla! You got him out!” Ezran exclaimed, the excitement nearly overwhelming the fifteen-year-old.

“Rayla, are you okay?” Soren asked, seemingly having picked on something being wrong.

“I hope so. For a second there, it looked like Callum wasn’t breathing.”

"He wasn't," Soren confirmed, causing Rayla's fears to rise as she dashed towards the castle, holding back tears and trying to have hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having hope is something we try and do for ourselves and others. But sometimes, no matter how much hope you have, you are fucked. And not in the good way.


	8. Day Eight: Victory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years after Rayla left, Callum kills Aaravos, immobolizes Claudia, and forces Viren to surrender. But Rayla is nowhere to be seen, and without her, is it actually a victory?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here the entry for Day Eight. Quite late, 17:20 for me, but still on day eight!

Viren grimaced as he raised his hands up in surrender. Aaravos’ dead body in front of him and his daughter encased in ice on the other side. The step prince in front of him, with a rune drawn the air while electricity cackled in the air.

“Drop the staff,” growled Callum.

“You know what’s funny, Callum?” Viren stalled, hoping to distract the Prince for long enough.

“You surrendering?”

“No. This,” he smiled as he wagged the staff at Callum, “is ironically your inheritance. The legacy of your ancestors.”

Callum remained silent, his gaze full of venom. _No doubt, he is looking for any opportunity to kill me. I mean, I did kill General Amaya_ , Viren thought.

“What do you mean, Dad?” Claudia spoke from beside him. “Aaravos made it, right?”

“Yes,” Viren replied, “But Callum is the last of an ancient lineage. His father was descended from Ziard, whose family was one of the few to escape Sol Regem at Elarion. Callum is the last descendant of the Mage Kings of old.”

“That doesn’t matter, drop the staff and get down on your knees Viren. You will stand trial.”

Viren saw Claudia glance sideways at him before she started making a face and confusing him.

“What? Claudia, I don’t understand! Just use your words!” Viren barked while Callum arched a brow at them.

“The girl,” Claudia whispered, “Tell him about the girl.”

“What?”

“The elf girl, damnit.” Claudia whispered again, this time a little too loud.

“What elf girl?!” Callum demanded.

“What are you getting at, Claudia? We don’t have time for games!” Viren growled at his daughter.

“His girlfriend!” Claudia shouted, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

“Rayla?! What did you do to Rayla?!”

Viren smiled as he understood his daughter. It was a good plan, to bad she didn’t know what the real plan was. Facing Callum once more, Viren sneered before throwing his staff at Callum’s feet.

“She tried to take us, but we overpowered her. We took her prisoner an-” Claudia started before Viren cutoff.

“No, we didn’t. You see, Callum, you little elf girlfriend did find us, and we did overpower her. Inititially, I did imprison her in a coin, bu-”

“Where is she?!” Callum roared.

“But, that night, while Claudia slept, we-”

“What. Did. You. Do.” Callum growled venomously.

Grinning ear to ear, Viren spread his hands and shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t tell you if you interrupt me, mongrel.”

“Fine,” Callum spat, “Continue.”

“While Claudia slept, I released her from the coin, and Aaravos and I killed her. After torturing her.” Viren finished, licking his lips maliciously.

“Dad?” gasped Claudia from his side. Though Viren didn't afford his daughter so much a glance as he quickly replied.

"Where do you think the cutlets we hade for a week came from, Claudia? We were in the middle of the Shiverglades."

"What the fuck, Dad?!"

Viren tuned her out and focused on Callum. The boy was furious, and he could see the anger rising, the pure hate and vitriol… _He is it. The defender humanity needs. Aaravos was right, the path to equality was paved with martyrs. The three of us among them._

Viren laughed as Callum picked up the staff and a dark cloud emanated from the jewel in the center. He didn’t stop laughing as the cloud enveloped him and Claudia. As Claudia started screaming and a spatter of her blood his face, Viren could only feel satisfaction as he thought to himself. _I won!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope every enjoyed that dark meat nugget. Intended.  
> See ya later!


	9. Day Nine: Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum finally reunites with Rayla after tracking for two years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Day Nine, at 130ish AM.  
> Enjoy!

As the sounds of fighting died, Callum concern grew. It had taken him two years to find her, and now her big fight with Viren didn’t sound right. Pulling his mage wings close to his body, he dove into a weak spot in the canopy and into the darkening forest below, leaving the sun behind him and facing the encroaching darkness.

As soon as the dark green of the needles, and the browns and tans of branches disappeared, Callum shot his wings out and rotated his body. Spotting a human and an elf standing over the prone form of a second elf only increased Callum’s fervor he had to save Rayla. The pair jumped as Callum landed with a heavy _Whump!_

The startled figures turned to face Callum, doing so gave Callum a better at the third figure, definitely a female elf laying a pool of blood. Rage engulfed Callum as he rapidly drew a fulminus rune and zapped the male elf.

The lighting curled out and struck the star-touched elf directly above his heart. The force flung the elf off his feet and slammed into a tree. The sickening crack told Callum that he didn’t need to follow up with Aaravos. The ancient mage struck the tree headfirst, breaking his neck.

Viren lunged forward, the bottom of his staff leading the way. Callum narrowly dodged the sharpened point that gleamed and thirsted for his blood. With a viscous growl, Viren swung the other end towards Callum’s head and narrowly missed. Not wasting much more time, Callum cast a second spell, summoning a massive earthen spike from underneath his feet.

Viren threw himself to the side and landed on his stomach, narrowly avoiding Callum’s spell. However, Callum was ready. He dashed the short distance to Viren, and ended the man’s threat by bringing his foot down onto Viren skull with a sickening, and slightly crunchy, _Squelch!_

As Rayla closed her eyes and laid in her own blood, she thought about Callum. She regretted leaving like she did, especially since she was about to die here, at the hands of Viren and Aaravos. The sounds of spell casting barely registered in her mind.

 _Assholes are celebrating their victory,_ she thought as she felt herself fade. _So, this is how I go? At least I can almost hear Callum again. Its like he’s really here._

As the noise continued, Rayla opened her eyes, determined to face her end with dignity. If they wanted to kill her, she wanted her killers to stare her in the eyes when they killed her. They owed her that, at the very least.

When she saw Callum, her heart leapt, forcing even more blood out of her body. Blinking slowly, she could vaguely hear him speaking, like she was underwater. She didn’t understand it, but it reassured her, nonetheless.

Softly, she reached up with the hand that was applying pressure to her wound and laid it against his cheek. He was really here, with her, she marveled at the feel of his skin. Her regret weighed on her, _I don’t deserve this dying comfort. I left him…_

Lacking the strength to keep her arm up after only a second, her arm fell back to the earth, leaving a bloody handprint on Callum’s face. Rayla couldn’t help but think it marred his beautiful face, almost

“I love you,” Rayla tried to whisper, as her vision started fading. The only sound escaping her lips a strained gasp. Closing and opening her eyes to try and clear it for just a little longer, she saw Claudia looming behind him, and knife midway a cross his throat. Leaving a bloody gorge in its wake.

Vision failing, the last thing she felt, was Callum’s warm blood spray onto her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked Day Nine, this was the other potentially 'happy' ending. Doesn't seem very happy does it.


	10. Day Ten: Self-Defense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Almost five years after the events of TTM, Callum has just been informed about an attempt on his life. Just how far will the master of magic go to keep himself alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, this will be a good one. Not much in the way feels, compared to Day Nine... Still fun to write, and I think everybody will enjoy reading it.

Callum barely concealed his anger as Corvus droned on. He was eighteen now, and this was the first security meeting they had since the coup nearly three years ago. At least it wasn’t about Katolis this time, not really.

A cabal in the Sunfire kingdom attempted to usurp Janai and kill his Aunt Amaya. Between the two of them, the renowned generals, and secretive lovers, managed to find intel suggesting that a group of moonshadow elves were hired to assassinate him.

“Corvus,” Callum interrupted, “I am a master of all seven primals. I can cast illusions with a thought, make my skin impervious to physical injury, and I am immune to almost all poisons. I don’t need the crown guard risking their lives.”

“Callum,” Ezran began from Callum’s left.

“No, Ezran. You and the crownguard should go and hole up in Viren’s old laboratory. I can deal with assassins. Any thing else is just unnecessary violence.”

“What if they reach you and you… You have to…” Ezran asked. The fifteen-year-old sounding more like the scared ten-year-old he once was.

“I won’t have to, Ezran,” Callum gently reassured his brother. “I promise you, no matter what, I won’t die tonight. Okay?”

“You better not.” Ezran replied, serious, but no longer scared.

Callum smirked as he watched the assassins dash around the throne room, killing various illusions of himself, only to find their blades firmly embedded in wood. The first twenty minutes of it had been amusing, but it was now boring him. Their confused screams of outrage echoed in his ears as he drew a rune and cast a spell. The floor of the throne changed into sand and sucked the assassins down to their waists before re-solidifying the floor into stone and immobilizing the assassins.

 _I’ll deal with them in the morning,_ Callum thought with a yawn as he strolled back to his room. Reflecting on the spat, _I’m glad they didn’t make me kill them, once was more than enough._

That took Callum’s thoughts back to only time he had killed. He had been looking Rayla, still, and had just forged his third arcanum, the Moon. Naively, Callum had thought that he could use the moon arcanum to see through the tracks that she covered. In the end, it had been for naught and he had been forced to give up his search for her after a year, and an attempted coup in Katolis.

A bandit, a male skywing elf with wings, had stopped him on the road. His demands for Callum’s money died when he saw Callum’s smooth head, ears and five fingered hands. The look of hate and disgust still haunted Callum on occasion.

The skywing, was a mage, and dodged or otherwise countered the ten spells that Callum knew at that point. Deciding and gloating that he would be cutting him into little pieces, the elf came at Callum with a dagger in his hand. The struggle was brief, maybe two, three seconds, and ended with the dagger buried to the hilt in the elf’s neck.

Callum remembered how he struggled for weeks to sleep, and months went by with near daily panic attacks. But it wasn’t all bad. That experience was a key one in connecting to the Star primal, and Callum also now knew that he could kill again, if there was no other choice.

With a short chuckle, Callum opened the door to his room only to freeze. A dark figure was halfway in his window, with a blade gleaming in one hand. The figure raised the armed hand from the wall, and the blade gleamed in the moonlight, as the arm holding reared back, as if to throw it.

Callum moved automatically, leaping to the right as he drew and cast a rune, “Fulminus!”

He watched as the lighting leapt from his fingertip, arced through the air and struck the figure. The brief light from it revealed a fraction of the assassin, pale skin, long blonde hair, and a human female. Woman or not, human or not, the would-be assassin was blown out of the window, and sent plummeting to the castle grounds below.

Heaving a sigh, Callum knew that he would have to make sure that assassin was dead before he could sleep. Climbing to the window, Callum leapt out of it before summoning his mage wings, and flying down to the mess the woman had made where she met her death.

Landing, Callum noticed the body shimmer. He paused for a few seconds as it shimmered again. _An illusion,_ he realized.

Approaching her body, Callum scanned her for anything with a moon opal, and froze as his gaze wandered over necklace. With a slight smile, he bent over and pulled the necklace off. His eyes went to the assassin’s face as the illusion faded, revealing the moonshadow elf under it. White hair, pale skin, and dead, purple eyes staring up at him.

Panic assailed Callum as he fell backwards when the illusion dissipated. Panic was replaced by horror as he scrambled forward. Scooping the elf's head with his hands as her cheeks, he heard the squelch as a significant portion of skull and brain was left on the ground. But Callum didn't care, as he whispered. His voice didn’t sound like his, this voice was weak, scared, horrified, angry, shocked, and guilty.

He whispered again, his lip quivering and tears falling, “Rayla?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun right?


	11. Day Eleven: Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum is captured and Rayla finally finds Viren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun chapter to write, hard to name though. Enjoy the angst!

“What are you going to do with me?” Callum calmly enquired.

“Oh, nothing yet.” Viren laughed, “But I can’t be lugging you all over Xadia and the Pentarchy.”

“Ifyou are going to kill me, make it quick, Viren.”

Oh I wouldn’t about anything,” Viren purred. “Eruseart ym si lous rouy.”

Bending over, Viren picked up the coin and watched the Princes scared visage for a moment, before laughing.

“Hey, Dad!” Claudia called out as she exited their cave, pausing to look around before opening her mouth again. “Did I just hear Callum?”

“No, Claudia, the isolation is probably just getting to you.”

Rayla’s eyes narrowed as Viren ran from her. He had nearly lost her in that labyrinth of a cave, but he panicked when she got close and ran back out into the light. She chased him and took the trees, quickly catching up to him.

 _This is it,_ she thought, _redemption, then I can go back to Callum and Ezran._

She longed for even the mere presence of Callum, let alone the thought of hearing his voice or seeing his face. It may have only been half a year, but she missed him. Enough that she desired to end the chase quickly and to kill Viren. A living man would stand trial, but a dead man… A dead man bothers no one.

Leaping from the branch, Rayla brought her blades forth, and exhaled as she flew downwards. Her heart hammering in her chest, in part from the chase, part from the bloodlust flowing through her, part from thrill of her first, and hopefully only kill. But another part of her heart’s hammering, was imagine how good it would feel to embrace, or even kiss Callum in only a few weeks’ time.

Rayla suppressed a grin when her foot plowed in to the dark mage’s back and her blades sunk deep into both sides of Viren’s neck. Releasing her grip on the blades with her lightning fast reflexes, Rayla rode Viren’s body down and rolled as he hit ground with a cry.

Coming out of the roll, Rayla jumped to her feet and quickly to Viren. The dying spurts from his neck affirmed that the man was either dead or about to be. She had taken a life. She was now an assassin.

That realization snapped her back to one of Runaan’s earliest lessons. ‘Life is not to be taken lightly.’ She had killed, but for the good of the world. While his death was necessary, Viren still deserved the proper respect.

As the spurts died, and the pool of blood stopped growing, Rayla bowed her head and shut her eyes. Taking a few seconds out of respect for the life she had just taken. After a few seconds and some deep, sobering breaths, she reopened her eyes.

Her sober attitude gave away to confusion as Viren faded and left a smaller man in his wake. One with Brown hair, fingerless gloves, a blue vest and a red scarf. With three moon moths on his back. The large pool of blood was the same size, and he wasn’t moving, her blades still buried in his neck.

Rayla gasped, as she realized who her kill was, and knelt beside him. The tears already falling as despair threatened to consume her.

“NO, NO, NO!”

“Oh yes!” laughed a voice behind her. Rayla turned her head, and through the tears could make out a goatee. “Eruseart ym si luos rouy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a fun ride, right? Day twelve, is very compelling, and possessive...


	12. Day Twelve: A Warm Meal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum fights with Viren, and Rayla leads the search for Callum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy A Warm Meal. it is a bit late... Quite a bit late, but its still day twelve.

Callum narrowed his eyes at Viren and the elf as they approached him.

“You are mine now, boy!” Viren growled.

“Viren,” the elf chastised, never taking his eyes off Callum though, “He is a mage of rare quality. Two arcanums is impressive for other elves, let alone a human. We need him alive.”

“You assume that I’ll let you take me alive,” Callum argued, “before we do this, Viren, have you been attacked by an elf?”

“No.” Viren’s elf friend replied.

“Yes,” lied Viren, his voice overlapping the elf’s reply.

“Don’t lie to the young prince, Viren.”

“Aaravos,” Viren hissed, “Don’t undermine me!”

Callum could be a most valuable ally.” Aaravos mused.

“Too bad I don’t intend to be an ally,” Callum smirked as he raised one hand. Pointing to the sky drew a fulminus rune from memory. He noticed that Viren’s attention was locked on him, while the elf, Aaravos, looked up to the rune Callum was drawing and smirked. The elf slowly back off while Viren came closer.

“Eruseart ym s-”

“Fulminus!” Callum shouted, the lightning bolt interrupting Viren thoughts and spell.

Everything seemed to stand still, even as the smell of ozone permeated the surrounding area.

“What was that supposed to accomplish?” Viren asked a raised eyebrow, and a barely concealed smile.

“More than you could dream, Viren.” Callum replied solemnly.

“I can dream pretty big, mongrel. You’re mine now!” Viren snarled.

Callum chuckled sadly and shook his head. As he felt the sands beneath him move and watched soul fang serpent emerge from the sands only a few feet behind Viren, laughed, “No. No I’m not.”

**_ Two years later… _ **

As Pyrrah landed, Rayla felt another pang of sadness. After a year, she had returned back to Katolis, her shame written on her face. She left to keep him safe, but she knew how much it would have hurt him, her lie. She also knew the damage could be repaired if he would let her.

She came back, after Viren disappeared, his trail was cold for over nine months when she got back to Katolis, only to find that Callum was gone as well. Like Viren, his trail was cold, and her worst was that Viren had gotten Callum, but it had only been three months ago that she found Claudia. The girl disclosed how her Dad and his elf friend had left her in the Shiverglades and headed for the Midnight desert. Rayla escorted her back to Katolis and put together this expedition.

Rayla swiftly dismounted Pyrrah and scanned the oasis. It wasn’t _the_ Oasis. This was new, and smaller. Something didn’t feel right about it.

She heard the other dragons land, and the clanking of armor as Soren and Amaya dismounted their respective rides. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Corvus and Ezran dismounting their own dragon.

“See anything, Rayla?” Ezran asked from above.

“No… But something isn’t right, here.” Rayla replied, eyes narrowed.

Soren drew his sword and strolled passed her. She watched as he poked at a bush with his sword a few times, before turning back to her and shrugging.

“It looks fine!”

Rayla scoffed, at the crown guard’s assessment. Soren was way too confidant in his, her own, and Corvus’ skills to keep Ezran safe. She could only shake her and glance to Corvus.

Unspoken they each took a side of the field surrounding the oasis and walked the edge. Meeting on the opposite they both walked up the middle entering the dense jungle. Separating to about ten feet, the pair walked forward.

The jungle was thick, and silent. The muggy air felt thick with anxiety, to Rayla. She wasn’t sure if it was just her, something about this place seemed to calm, and placate her. A sensation that only unnerved her, something felt… Almost magical.

Less than a minute into the jungle, the foliage opened up to display a small lake. Clear, blue water shimmered, while lush grass occupied the shoreline. But Rayla’s attention was on the figure standing by the shore.

Faded, torn blue shirt adorned it, standing out against its ashen skin. No horns adorned it’s skull, _A human_ , Rayla realized, her anxiety rising.

“Hello!” Corvus called out.

The figure didn’t respond.

“Hello?” Rayla called, the figure remaining still.

As they slowly approached, Rayla could see and hear the figure breathing slowly.

“In the name of King Ezran of Katolis, reply!” Corvus barked falling behind Rayla as she could hear him readying his flail.

Putting a hand on a folded blade in the holsters on her back, Rayla tentatively placed her other on the shoulder of the figure. She recoiled briefly as she felt the bitter chill of the body.

“Hello?” She asked gently, squeezing the figure’s shoulder after a few seconds.

It was only then that Rayla noticed the figure’s ash colored hair. _This is a husk. Poor person was devoured by a soul fang serpent_.

“It’s a husk, Corvus. No threat here.” Raylla called out as she heard the tracker walk up behind her.

“Go grab Ezran, Soren, and Amaya” Corvus said, “I want to try and see who this is. I’ll see about tracking down their family when we get back.”

“Alright,” Rayla acquiesced, for walking towards the other end of the lake. But she didn’t get much farther before a string of curse words reached her ears.

Truning around, Rayla was about to tease Corvus until she saw his face. The look of resignation was evident. “Corvus what’s wrong?”

“Don’t… Don’t look, Rayla.” Corvus replied, his voice heavy.

‘Come on, it can’t be anyone I know, I only know a handful of humans, and Callum wouldn’t be stupid enough to cross the midnight desert without an ambler, her even knows where to find one!” Rayla replied as she reached the figure and pushed a shoulder of the figure.

It moved to avoid falling down and stared at her with a blank expression and an all too familiar face.

Amaya later found herself thankful that she was deaf. She got the same news, but she didn’t have to see and hear it. Not like Ezran and Soren had to, after Rayla’s scream had echoed out from the jungle thicket of the oasis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even Soulfangs gotta eat.  
> That said, since they eat souls, are they capable of excretion? Did they create the desert because they poop sand?  
> Probably not, but a fun idea.   
> Also, this new oasis was created by Callum as he died in this minific's head canon. Thought about including it, but it didn't feel to physically discuss.


	13. Day Thirteen: Battle of the Exes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After ten years, Callum finally finds Rayla, but so does someone with a score to settle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this is a great chapter... For me. Not... really.... for you guys...  
> Day 13 at 337AM. I am on a roll!

Callum swallowed anger and sadness, as he watched the family from the shadows. Nearly a decade of devotion, and this was- the end. He had tracked and looked for her for eight years. It had been six years since he saw Ezran or his Aunt.

“At least she looks happy,” Callum whispered as he watched Rayla kiss the skywing elf beside her, who was cradling a small baby.

“Do you- uh, want to talk to her boss?” asked the star-touched from his side.

“No, no this for the best.” Callum sighed.

“Are you sure, boss?”

“Yes. We had something, once upon a time. In truth, I’ve only been pursuing it because it was all I ever knew. Almost no one ends up with their first love.” Callum replied, “She’s alive, and happy. That’s good enough for me.”

Turning around, Callum started to walk away from his hiding spot. The footsteps of his companion echoed behind.

“So, what’s next boss? You’ve been looking for her for so long.”

“Me?” Callum questioned mirthfully, “You looked almost as much as I did, Hem.”

“Well,” Hem chuckled, “You saved my life, and my sister’s life. I owed you, Callum. Still do.”

Callum stopped and turned back to Hemuel. “Consider your debt fulfilled, my friend. It’s been fulfilled for long time.”

“I know,” Hem confirmed. “Mind if I tag alo-”

A scream interrupted from behind interrupted the star-touched elf. As Hem stepped to the side and turned around, Callum saw the cause of the scream. _Rayla._

His ex was sprawled on the ground clutching a shoulder. The male elf next to her was clutching the previous whining bundle, except the arrow protruding from it was new. A second arrow seemed to be suspended in the air, merely a foot from the guys head.

But Callum knew better. He started rushing forward, unable to tear his eyes away from the arrow entering the man’s skull and watched in horror as the arrowhead erupted from the opposite side of his head. Escorted with a firm coating of gore and splash of blood. Rayla’s screams somewhere reached him over the pounding in his ears.

Claudia emerged from a doorway as the remains of her followers attacked, knife in hand. She ignored the male elf and child once she saw the arrows firmly lodged in them. The woman was screaming less than five feet away, a throwing knife firmly lodged in her shoulder. Rayla. _The bitch who corrupted Callum and killed Dad._

Claudia smirked as she grabbed Rayla by a horn and plunged her dagger deep into the wounded elf’s other shoulder. Claudia laughed as the elf screamed again, and sobbed, staring at the remains of her husband and child.

“Don’t worry,” Claudia soothed, as her other hand abandoned the dagger and grabbed Rayla’s other. “You’ll be joining them now. _Did eh sa, eid, eid_!”

Claudia completed the spell and felt power course through her veins. However, she didn’t even take a second to savor it, instead elected to twist with all her might. A series of sickening pops and snaps filled the air as the sheer strength from the spell allowed Claudia to overpower the elf’s body, ripping her head off in grisly manner.

“NOOOOO!!!!!” screamed a voice from behind. Claduia turned, holding Rayla’s head by one horn, only to see Callum less thirty feet away.

“Callum?” Claudia asked.

Callum stood, just a short way from Claudia. A gril he had had a crush on for year, and someone he once considered a friend. A friend who just murdered Rayla, ripped her head off her body entirely. And she had the nerve to say his name, like he meant something to her, like she mattered. Like she hadn't just killed the person he loved.

“FULMINUS!” Calum shouted, pointing a tattooed finger at the mage. He watched in anger as bolt arced forward and struck Claudia between the eyes. The mage convulsed for half a second, before Rayla’s head fell to the ground with a _thud!_ Claudia body right behind it.

The people with her raised their cross bows and fired, but Callum dashed to the side, forming icicles out of the moisture in the air with one rune, and launching them with a second. Each one flew into head of a follower, until none were left alive.

Glancing down, Callum saw Rayla’s head. Eyes wide open, and expression frozen, in a look of intense physical and emotional pain. Callum his eyes briefly, finding the image followed him.

“I’m sorry, Rayla.” He said before turning around. “Hem, we sho-”

Callum froze as he saw Hemuel on the ground, a little over twenty feet. Two crossbow bolts firmly embedded in the Star-touched elf’s head. Callum sighed as he walked over and confirmed it. His friend was dead.

“Goodbye, friend. I’m sorry you never got to see Katolis.” Callum remarked before leaving. Hoping that his reunion with Ezran and Soren didn’t go this way as tears started to roll down his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day Thirteen down... Still seems like a long way to Day Thirty-Two. Sooo much Angst and trauma to write. Very exciting, and thrilling. Plus I feed on your sadness, so if I stop making you cry, I will starve to death. Can't have that.
> 
> See you tomorrow!


	14. Day Fourteen: White Lies.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set ten years after TTM, Callum and Rayla are married, but Rayla returns from vacation only to receive devastating news, forcing Ezran and Amya to confront it as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, extreme feels warning. Much better than my original plan for Day fourteen, and inspired by Elton John's singing part in Pink Phantom by Gorillaz. Amazing song.

Eran could barely contain his shock and anger as he and his aunt Amaya rushed into the Banther Lodge. He never would have thought Callum could have done something like this, and if he hadn’t heard it from Rayla, he wouldn’t have believed it. _How could Callum cheat on Rayla?_

Only a few hours prior, Rayla had busted into the castle and trashed her and Callum’s room. The guards came to get Ezran as soon it started. Her anger and fury radiated off of her, so no one wanted to risk being stabbed.

Eventually, she wore herself out and just collapsed in the middle of the room, sobbing. Between his aunt, and himself, they managed to coax everything out her, between bouts of screaming and crying. Along with threats of physical violence and mutilation that initially horrified Ezran; he later felt half tempted to let her carry out once she told him everything.

She had come back from a vacation, and after encountering a courier, she met Callum at the Lodge for their reunion. When she tried to kiss him, he pulled away. When she tried to talk to him, she said that he was cold. Then he asked her for a divorce.

According to her, it took hours of pleading, crying and begging to even get him say anything else. She was stunned when he told her ‘I’ve been having an affair.’ That was all he said to her. She tried to ask why, but said that he just ignored her, and that she left the lodge so that she didn’t physically harm him. She even described some the physical insults she lobbed him and the colorful language.

He blinked when they reached Callum’s room. He and Amaya looked at each and took a deep breath in, before Amaya kicked the door in and the pair rushed inside. Callum was sitting on his bed, with a back pack beside him, and staring at a piece of paper.

“Callum.” Ezran said, wincing as he heard his anger leak through.

“So, Rayla made it back to the Castle,” he replied without looking up. Though he set the paper down on his lap and signed for Amaya’s benefit. Ezran saw that the paper was a sketch of Rayla in her wedding dress.

“Yes. She told us something… concerning,” Ezran replied, unsure of how to ask his brother how and why he could and would cheat on his wife. Taking a deep breath as his Aunt gave him an angry glare, he continued.

“Did you cheat on Rayla?”

“I-I wish I could lie,” Callum said and signed, his voice wobbling, “but I can’t, not to you and Aunt Amaya. I lied to Rayla.”

“What?” Ezran asked, confused.

“I lied,” Callum repeated, before looking up them. Callum’s eyes were red and puffy, his cheeks still wet.

“Wha- Why would you lie and tell her you had an affair if you didn't?! Are you lying to me now?!” Ezran shouted.

“I-I can’t do it anymore, Ezran.” Callum replied, his voice was quiet and full of pain. “Her vacations…”

“What’s wrong with her vacations? Just go with her!” Ezran growled.

“I lie, when I tell she’s on vacation. The slightest whisper of a dark mage in Xadia, or Elven hunters in the Pentarchy and Rayla’s racing off to be the hero. I’d go with her, but she leaves in the middle of the night so I can’t follow her. Just like when she left me to find Viren. If I refuse to sleep, she drugs me, if I refuse food, water, sleep, I eventually pass out and she leaves anyways.” Callum replied. Ezran could his voice threatening to break with every word, and his own heart felt heavy. He couldn't imagine how Callum must feel. “I can’t stand not knowing where she is, or if she is even alive, for weeks, sometimes months.”

“Callum,” Ezran softly replied before sitting next to him and embracing his brother. “Do you still love her?”

“Of course, I do,” Callum replied, fresh tears forming in his eyes.

“Then talk to her-”

“Do you know why she leaves to play hero?” Callum asked. Ezran only shook his as he watched their aunt move to sit on Callum’s otherside. “Because she’s Rayla. She’s a hero. But she also feels responsible for things that aren’t her fault. Avizandum, Soren, the world, in general.”

“So imagine,” Callum continued as tears slowly ran down his face again, “How she will about something that is her fault?”

‘Horribly,’ Amaya leaned forward to sign.

“One day, if she dies out there, I’ll never know. Rayla just accepts that as the cost of saving world.” Callum said, before sobbing a little. “In a relationship, you are supposed be there for each other, to protect and nurture each other. B-but I have to protect myself.”

“Callum-”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like,” Callum growled, “But it is. I’m going to set her free to save the world, and if she blames me, she’ll hate me. She’ll go, and eventually find happiness again.”

“What about your happiness, Callum?” Ezran asked, immediately regretted the question as the aura of sadness around Callum only grew.

“I love her, I always will. She may not know it, or want, but she’ll always have m-m-my h-h-he-he-heart.” Callum cried.

The three sat on the bed, as Callum sobbed. Ezran and Amaya cried more than a little as well. The three ended up falling asleep, drained from the emotions.

Amaya awoke as the bed shifted, Callum had placed a hand on it to balance as he kissed Ezran’s forehead.

‘What are you doing?’ Amaya signed, noting the backpack on his back, and the three scrolls on the nightstand.

‘I can’t be here. Tell Ezran that I’m sorry, and to give Rayla the divorce. Rayla can never know the truth. I'm going to go up north, through Duren. There is an unexplored continent up there, you know.’

‘Are you coming back?’

‘One day.’ Callum signed before motioning at the scrolls. ‘There is a scroll for you, Ezran and Rayla. Give hers to her when she’s ready.’

‘Is it more of the lie?’

‘Yes. With enough fake details that she should be able to feel closure and move on.’ Callum signed, as fresh tears formed in his eyes. ‘Goodbye, Aunt Amaya.’

Amaya felt fresh tears form as she bid him farewell and she watched him leave the room. Unsure of whether or not she and Ezran could keep his secret, or if they even should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit right? I actually, legitimately, cried while writing. Tears, runny nose, and one or two sobs that I actually had to suppress.  
> Let me know how well you think I translated what I was imagining into what you experienced from the writing. See ya all tomorrow!


	15. Day Fifteen: Moonberries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum tried to challenge Viren, and he lost, paying the ultimate price. But Rayla doesn't know yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh man, this is a good one. There are fates worse than death. Remember that.

Callum screamed again. Even though he knew it was pointless. She wouldn’t be able to hear him. She would neve hear him again. But he still had to try, he couldn’t let his nightmare get worse.

Callum had set out after Rayla, even after reading her letter. He knew that she didn’t stand a chance on her own, and neither did he if Viren attacked Katolis again. But luck wasn’t on his side. Instead of finding Rayla, he found Viren.

Viren used him, used his arcanum for spells to pull an elf from a cocoon, and to make Callum a slave. He trapped him in mind, and let his dark half out. The version of Callum that wanted power and dark magic.

Callum could everything and feel every thing that Dark Callum did. But he couldn’t do anything to stop it, and in truth, after a year of fighting and failing, he gave up. Resigned to remain a prisoner in his mind.

But that changed, Callum had growled when he saw Rayla. She had caught up to Viren, only a few hours behind him in fact. Callum had been screaming to warn her, but she kept approaching him, unaware of the evil in control of his body.

“Rayla?” his body asked, sounding stunned.

“Callum!” Rayla overzealously as she rushed and embrace him.

 _RAYLA!!!_ Callum screamed with all might even though he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. But he had to try. _I have to try._

His fury and fear only when the bastard controlling him cupped Rayla’s neck and pulled her in for a kiss. _MOTHERFUCKER!_ He screamed, but he could tell the darkness ruling him was smirking and enjoying his pain. _When I regain control, you are so FUCKED!_

A rare reply echoed through Callum’s head, the very gravity of the thought shaking him. _Is that so? You know, we haven’t had a shower in a while. We kind of stink._

 _FUCK YOU_ , Callum screamed back.

“Wow,” Rayla breathed as Callum’s lips separated from hers. Her words drawing Callum’s attention away his dark version. A familiar teasing smile adorning her face. “Have you gotten better at taking away my breath? I hope you haven’t been practicing without me.”

Callum only screamed more his keeper pressed his to lips to Rayla’s again. He thought he couldn’t get any madder until he pulled Rayla’s head back by a horn kissed down her neck. Her moans ignited a fury, and a passion that Callum had never known he had.

 _Let her go, and I won’t try and take control!_ Callum pleaded desperately. _Please! If you are part of me, that means you love her too!_

His captors voice laughed through out his head. _You assume that what you have if love and not an infantile crush! You’re pathetic, refuting your destiny!_

_Please, I’ll do anything, I swear on her life._

_No._

His dark half’s reply echoed through his with a burning ferocity. _No…Rayla! RAYLAAAAA! RUUUUNNN!_

His protests only grew when his dark half licked the outside of Rayla’s ear, drawing a moan out of the elf. His body whispered to her, “I never loved you.”

“What?” callum heard Rayla ask, before one of his hands closed around her throat and he whispered again, his tone chilling Callum to bone even through his shouting.

“You are nothing but ingredients. Regnol on llems.”

Callum cried out in horror as Rayla staggered backwards with a look of betrayal and pain on her.

“Callum… What… Wha- Cal…” Rayla managed before she started dissolving into dust.

_RAAAAAAYLAAAAAA!!!!!!!!_

Callum wanted to cry as she dissolved, the look of anger and sadness never leaving her face. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t cry if his body wasn’t.

His enemy gave their pits a quick sniff. Callum felt sick he felt his face break into a smile even as he wanted to cry. “Hmm, smells like moonberries.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the fact that Grey Callum used Rayla as deodorant the most offense part, or should I have found an even more menial use for her? Like bad breath? Or feeling gassy?


	16. Day Sixteen: Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum reflects on what brought him to this very point in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter piece, but no less fun!

Callum set his jaw, as he knelt down.

“Prince Callum, any last words?” asked Opeli. The regent of the new queen.

He flared his nostrils with a harsh breath out, “No. Just get it over with.”

“Very well, Kingslayer,” Opeli sneered.

Wordlessly, he leaned and put his head on the block, and stared at the basket.

He had frozen, when the shadow came, he froze. He knew the spell having studied it after the assassinations before the Battle of the Spire, but Callum also knew those blades. It may have only been a year, but he knew it was Rayla.

She had found Viren, and he killed her and used her ashes to try and assassinate his brother.

He heard Soren screamed for his help, but her frozen at the sight of the shadow. _Rayla… Oh no!_ He was paralyzed.

He was paralyzed as the shadow swept Soren’s legs, before sinking both daggers into his chest and throat. The death scream from his friend seemed unreal, even as other Crown guards rushed by Callum, to help their Captain. Even their deaths, couldn’t pull him out of his shocked state.

Ezran had cried, and begged for Callum to help, Callum was frozen to spot, even as Rayla’s shadow cut Ezran’s head off. More guards had arrived to see him staring at the shadow of his girlfriend, while it held his brother’s severed head. Their testimony to the new queen got him convicted. But he was okay with that.

Knowing that Rayla was dead, and that he watched as her ashes were used for dark magic, and that he wasn’t able to save his brother… Callum didn’t want to live anymore. If anything, he was glad to be on the executioner’s block. He even felt himself smile a bit as the axe whistled through the air. His last thoughts, would be about Ezran, and Rayla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had fun? Plenty sad, right? Chop, Chop!  
> See you either in the comment section or tomorrow!


	17. Day Seventeen: Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twenty five years after the events of Moonberries, Callum is finally freed from his prison. Only for something worse to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably be the only one that is a sequel. I have a little bug of an idea for a sequel to White Lies, but I'm not sure on it. I'll write out and see how it feels.

Callum gasped as primal energy exploded out from him, throwing Ezran back. His lungs inflated and he felt the air rushing into them. Actually, felt it. He smiled as he staggered slightly the storm above dissipated.

“Callum!” Ezran growled, his grown, thirty-five-year-old frame towered over Callum.

“Ezran… Thank you.” Callum replied warmly, as he felt the felt the blood pour into the stab wound that penetrated his lungs.

“What?” Ezran’s tone dropped, and his confusion was clear.

“Controlled. Now free.” Callum managed, before he felt unsteady and fell to his knees.

“I could do nothing but watch,” Callum whispered as Ezran came closer and stood over him, his second sword at the ready.

Callum looked down at the sword in his chest before looking up at Ezran. “I’m sorry about Ezran. I wasn’t strong enough,” Callum replied before breathing became difficult.

“Thank you… for freeing me,” Callum wheezed and gasped. Before collapsing and his vision faded, while he thought, _so this is death. It’s not so bad, not compared to the last two and half decades._

In the blink of an eye, Callum found himself somewhere familiar. _The moon portal!_ Callun realized, _the space between life and death, where those of us who can’t accept death are left_.

Grinning, Callum started forward, remembering that spirits where drawn to those they are closest to, whether by anger or love. Some part of him was confident that it applied to spirits as well. His hypothesis was soon proven true as the came across Soren.

“Soren!” he called out.

“Woah, fuck!” the crown guard jumped. “Don’t scare me like that. Look, I know that you killed me, but I gotta know about Claudia and you are the first I’ve come across in who knows how long.”

“Look, about that,” Callum replied, cupping the back of his neck.

“Wait, why do you look like you did when you were fifteen?”

“When I left to look for Rayla, I found your dad instead. He casted what basically amounted to a mind control spell. I could and see feel everything my body did, but I was stuck.” Callum sheepishly replied.

“That actually makes sense. All those times we fought, you were way too tough.” Soren replied as he hugged Callum.

“Gee, thanks,” Callum replied as he rolled his eyes, making Soren laugh. “Anyways, about Claudia, My body killed her about seven years ago. Sorry.”

“Hmmm, how long have I been dead? Time’s… kinda nonexistent here.”

“Three years,” Callum answered, “you’ll be glad that Ezran and his kids got away from me. He’s actually who I have to thank for freeing me.”

“Huh, so I should be able to find Cla-”

“Soren, spirirts are drawn to each other. If you haven’t found her then she has moved on.”

“Pfft, nonsense. She’s still here. I just need to know why she chose Dad over me. I mean, I know that I made the choice for her, but she could have followed.”

“Soren… Please don’t do this, you be stuck here for-”

“No, I will only be stuck until I can find and talk to Claudia! Thanks, Callum!” Soren shouted as the quickly ran off, calling out for Claudia. His figure disappeared as Callum felt heavy. _Soren will be stuck here forever… Never to move on to what ever is next, if there even is anything…_

Callum could have cried until he decided to jog off his fears until he found Rayla. He had to apologize to her. What his dark half did to her… Callum still loved her and he had to apologize, no matter what, she had to know that she had been important to him, that he loved her, then and now.

Time seemed to stretch on into oblivion until he stumbled onto a familiar wieleding a shield.

“Aunt Amaya?!” Callum called out in excitement.

“Callum?!” Amaya asked, freezing Callum. His aunt spoke… Using speech?!

“You can talk?!” Callum asked excitedly as he rushed to her.

“Yeah,” Amaya replied with a glare that stopped him in his tracks.

“W-What’s wrong?” Callum asked.

“You killed Janai,” her eyes narrowed, “And Gren.”

“No, I didn’t. I was not under my own control.”

“Bullshit!” Amaya spat.

“No, I swear to you it true! When I went looking for Rayla I found Viren and he… He… He trapped me in my mind while a mockery of me controlled my body. I had to watch while he used dark on magic on Rayla and used her as deodorant. Deodorant.” Callum emphasized, “I had to watch and feel everything that motherfucker did for twenty-five years, until Ezran freed me from that hell by running my body through with a sword. To which, I will be incredibly grateful, for all eternity.”

“What?”

“My dark was present when Gren and Janai died, but he didn’t kill them. Viren did. Then my dark killed Viren because he thought Viren had outlived the usefulness my dark half perceived him to have.”

Amaya laughed after a few seconds. “I was hoping that I was wrong, I never could fully accept the things you had been doing.” Amaya replied embracing Callum, as she started to fade.

“Wait, have you seen Rayla?” Callum hurriedly asked.

Amaya’s fading froze for split second before resuming. “I’m sorry, Callum. She eventually accepted what you told her and moved on.” The last word hung on the air as Amaya vanished, leaving Callum alone. The words his dark half had said to her ripping through his mind.

“I never loved you…. Nothing more than ingredients.”

 _No, no, no, no! I-I have to tell her the truth. I love her, and she was everything to me!_ Callum thought as panic overwhelmed him and tears started falling. Running in a direction, he started screaming.

“RAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYLAAAAAAAAAAA! Where are you?! Rayla!” Callum screamed as he ran. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t accept the idea that she had moved on, thinking that he never loved her, and thought of her as nothing but collection of ingredients. His aunt had to be lying! “RAYLA!!!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum stuck to wander between life and death forever... Maybe he should have rooted for his darker half to kill Ezran, because this seems a lot worse... Thoughts?
> 
> Ha! I'll see ya later.


	18. Day Eighteen: Breaking Patterns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Years after the events of White Lies, Rayla seeks out Callum on the unexplored Northern Continent. But just how far is she willing to go to get him back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fair warning this one also did a number on me. Not as bad as White Lies... But.... Oh man, I think you all are going to love this.

Rayla’s lungs burned as she reached the top of Mount Kalin, even as she unleashed an umpteenth scream of frustration. She almost couldn’t believe that she was going to do what she about to do. Almost.

Rayla shivered as the bitter wind blew, drawing away heat from her clothes as she approached a flat rock. Her teeth chattered as she set the bag, she was carrying down beside her. Callum’s old, messenger bag.

“You fucking lied to me,” Rayla whispered, staring at the bag with tears in her eyes. “I’m stronger than you thought. I’m going to find you, kick your ass, fuck you until you can’t neither of us can move, then apologize to you. And not necessarily in that order.”

Digging into the bag, Rayla’s hands came out full. In her left, was a jar of wisps, and her right was a small bowl along with a piece of flint and steel. She carefully reached back into the bag, and grasped the vial inside. Pulling it out she stared at the hair within and froze.

 _Am I really doing this?_ She asked herself. _I love him. No matter how much he infuriates me. I love you, Callum._

It had been six years, that she believed the lie. That Callum cheated on her. The lie that _he_ had told her.

She had left Katolis and the Pentarchy, only returning to find elves that hunted humans for sport. She filled the ache in her heart with blood and meaningless flings. When she tried dating, she found none of them, man, woman, elf, human… No one could live up to the standard Callum set.

Which only enraged her further as the years went, by. Until he got a letter from Ezran. She kept up a correspondence with her ex-in-laws. Ezran and Amay were amazing people, and she wasn’t going to never talk to them just because Callum was a cheating asshole.

But this letter was different. Ezran asked Rayla to come back. Amaya was sick, cancer.

Rayla had naturally come rushing to Katolis. Just in time to be with Amaya before she died. Rayla had been surprised to hear that Callum wasn’t in Katolis. He hadn’t been in years.

When Amaya confessed that she helped cover for Callum, that Callum hadn’t had an affair. That their divorce was because she hurt Callum so much, Rayla had unleashed her fury on the dying woman verbally.

Amaya may not have been able to hear her, but Rayla knew that the general got the point. She felt bad that her last interaction with the older woman was her screaming at her, before she passed. She would always feel guilty about that.

Rayla closed her eyes and shook her head. Now was a time for action. She wanted Callum. She wanted to make it up to him. She wanted her life back. She wanted her Callum back, more than anything. No matter the cost.

Opening her eyes, Rayla pulled the stopper on the vial and dumped the hair into the bowl. Tossing the vial aside, the shattering of glass barely registering as her heart raced. Snatching the flint and strike of the rock, Rayla sparked the flint, setting the hair on fire.

“Ecnesse ruoy esuf.” Rayla commanded, drop the flint and striker as she slowly raised her hands, drawing the magic from the bowl. Dark magic flooded her senses, filling her with revulsion, but Rayla kept going. Placing her hands on the jar of wisps, she felt the corruption enter the wisps from the air and herself. But a tiny bit of it remained in her. She could feel it, marring her soul.

Picking up the jar, Rayla opened it as she commanded the wisps yet again, “Dah ecno I evol eht kees.”

Again, she felt her soul be marred slightly more, before the wisps bolted out of the jar and headed north. Their path going beyond the North Sea, and Rayla felt the location imprint itself on her soul. Her path carved into her very instincts.  
  


Callum groaned as he saw the purple wisps fall from the sky. The stars were wrong… Again. Callum look east, as the first stars appeared.

“You’re wrong again! How are we the only people that continue to break from any and all patterns?! How?!" Callum shouted, before sadly adding "Except for all the important ones”

Callum felt a tear run his cheek as he turned his gaze towards the ground. He sighed before picking up his head and walked to the ruined door way. The only way to access this part of the ruins.

Kneeling in front of it, he began drawing a rune in the dirt. The complex Rune took almost an hour to finish, before he stood up and cast the spell.

“Testis.” Callum commanded and watched in great sadness as a column of starlight descended onto the rune, forming a mirror.

Callum took a deep breath before stepping into the light and beginning. “Rayla,”

**_ Five Weeks Later… _ **

Rayla felt it, as she grew closer. Her heart was fluttering as a mix of emotions rushed through her. Anger, fear, sadness, love, lust, and even happiness. She was close, she could feel it in every fiber of her being. She could feel _him_. The ghost of his lips, hands, and more.

Rayla paused as she noticed a set of stairs leading to a doorway. The setting sun illuminated the ruined arch above like a beacon, and she felt pulled to it. Her heart leapt as she ran up the stairs.

“CALLUM! Callum?!” Rayla called as she flew through the doorway onto what would have a balcony with a gorgeous view of the ocean, and the rising sun.

“Rayla,” Callum’s voice said from behind, causing Rayla to spin around. She felt like she was going to cry just staring at him.

“Callum,” Rayla said, her voice nearly breaking under the weight of the emotion that broke through the dam trying to hold it back. “I’ve missed you so much!”

Rayla rushed towards, only stopping when he spoke again.

“I’m not here, Rayla.”

“Wh-what?”

“I’m leaving this message for you Rayla, courtesy of the star arcanum.”

“Callum…”

“I’m sorry, Rayla. I’m sorry that I lied to you. Please don’t blame Aunt Amaya and Ezran… I asked them to keep my lie, and they did because it was for the best.”

“Why Callum?!” Rayla screamed as anger and regret surged over her joy, as tears started trailing down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Rayla. I love you so much, I will always love you-”

“Then why are you leaving me again!” Rayla screamed as she fell to her knees, sobbing, before she whispered, “Am I just not enough for you?”

“No, Rayla, you were enough. When you were with me. You kept leaving, and if something ever happened. I wouldn’t have known. Loving you, was the best thing I have ever felt. And I will never stop loving you. No matter how much it hurts me.”

“Please, Callum,” Rayla begged, “Come back to me. I just want you.”

The image of Callum squatted to meet her eyes. “I love you Rayla. Before I proposed to you, I looked to the stars. Star magic is all about patterns, and we broke every single one. All destiny is, is following the pattern that you fall into. But we didn’t.” his image smiled softly, “We broke every rule, our love let us make our own pattern.”

Rayla reached up, trying to place her hand on his cheek. She wanted to touch him, or something. Anything to make the ache in her heart disappear.

“But you fell into a pattern of vengeance. The same pattern we pledged to break, and only two routes would be left. Either you would eventually be killed, or you would never be satisified. I would live in sorrow and unhappiness, eventually my despair overwhelming and taking my own life. You would have been gone for three years on that hunt.” Callum said her hand passed through him and a tear ran his cheek.

“Callum,” Rayla whispered.

“You would have come back to find me dead and buried; and you would have either killed yourself or been killed on your next hunt.”

“So, there is no way,” Rayla replied as she stood up and turned away to face the seas. “for us to be happy? One of us has to suffer?”

More tears fell, as a sob escaped from Rayla. “Wh-what if I let you tie to the bed?! Tie me up so I can never leave you again? Could we be happy then?”

Rayla turned to see Callum shaking his head. “I don’t what you just said Rayla, the pattern is degrading at this point. Please, go back to Silvergrove. There is someone else that you can find happiness with. I love you too much to ask you to change who you are. And please,” he pleaded, more tears falling from his eyes. “no more dark magic… Please Rayla, the cost it has on your soul… I’m not worth that.”

Rayla sobbed as she turned around to face the sea again. She screamed out in frustration. “I love you Callum! There will nobody else!”

“I just want you…” She cried before climbing onto the remains of the balcony railing, feeling the wind buffet her body, and the railing wobble underneath. Her heart felt shattered, swallowed by despair, as sadness and fear consumed her very soul.

“Rayla, please come down from there. Please, Rayla!” Callum’s voice begged.

“Why should I?!” she sobbed, “I want you. There is not point if I can’t have you. Even if you lie to me, and don’t let me choose. I love you, Callum.”

“Rayla, please” Callum’s voice choked with a sob. “If you ever loved me, please, come down from that railing. Please, Ray….”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hope you all liked the cliffhanger. That's the last I'll do of White Lies. So I'll let you all imagine what happened. Did Rayla jump? Did Callum swoop down from the skies with mage wings to save her, or did she get down, go back to Katolis and live a miserable existence as an old spinster before dying, never seeing Callum again? Or some other thing that in between these two extremes? or worse, did Rayla jump, and Callum didn't emerge to save her? Dashing her brains out on the sharp rocks a thousand feet below?
> 
> Dark ponderings aside, this was fun... See you all in the comments!


	19. Day Eighteen Part Two: Cravings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After years of Callum and Rayla being missing, Ezran sends Soren to find them. But, he only manages to find Rayla, alone in a cave high up in the Shiverglades where she has evidently been trapped for a while. What happened and where is Callum?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's this. I figured I'd give an extra dose of angst since I am officially a year older. I hate these days, I'm only 24,but all I can think about today is people I've had to bury, and the people I wish I could have buried.
> 
> Alright, enough about me. I strongly encourage eating something while reading this chapter. Unless you have a queasy stomach.

Soren froze when he saw the bones. He shivered, partly from the cold of Shiverglades, and partly from the mass of bones in front of him. A nagging worry emerged from the back of mind as he desperately tried to figure why Rayla was wrapped in Callum’s jacket and scarf, and why she refused to say anything to anyone.

He picked up a shattered femur and felt sick as he saw the gnaw marks marring the entire length of the bone. The hollow center where the marrow had been sucked out. The break in the bone was fairly smooth. Whoever broke it tried to be gentle with it, almost out of concern or respect.

Setting it down, Soren picked up a rib. Gnaw marks and a gentle break. No marrow either.

Soren sighed as he rose and looked the bones. Most were broken, covered in gnaw marks and empty of marrow. The fact that there were enough bones for two people was concerning enough, even more so, was the fact that Rayla had been gone for five years and Callum for three and a half.

Turning around, Soren faced Rayla again. The elf looked gaunt, her skin pulled tight against her cheekbones, hollow, recessed eyes, thin arms. She was sitting down with her knees pulled tight against her chest, rocking back and forth ever so gently.

Squatting beside her, Soren spoke gently. “Rayla… Where’s Callum?”

He didn’t miss the pained glance she towards the bones.

“Okay, all you have to do is nod for yes, or shake your head for no. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, okay?”

Rayla nodded her head.

“Did Callum up to you after you left the moon nexus?”

A nod.

“Okay was he with you in this cave?”

A nod, and the start of tears forming. “Okay, how long ago did you both get stuck in here? A year?”

Rayla shook her head.

“Six months?”

Another shake.

“Three months?”

Rayla nodded in affirmation, one tear falling after another, but she wasn’t quite what Soren would call crying.

“Was that third person already here?”

Rayla shook her head again.

“Where they alive to begin with?”

She nodded an affirmation.

“Did you kill them?”

Rayla shook her head vigorously enough that tear hit Soren’s face.

Sighing, he asked, “Did Callum kill them?”

Ryla started shaking her head but stopped and looked away from him.

That answered his question as well as a nod would have. “Who were they? Was it somebody I knew?”

Rayla kept looking away from him, though she nodded.

Soren’s blood as only a few possibilities sprang to mind. “Was… it my Dad?”

Rayla shook her head as Soren did his best to swallow down sadness.

“Tha-that’s okay, Rayla. You two were starving right? And Claudia attacked and left you with no option.”

Soren said noting the half hearted nodding of Rayla’s head.

“How many weeks ago was this? Three?”

Rayla shook her head.

“Two?”

Another shake.

“Was it longer than five weeks ago?”

Rayla nodded.

“Where’s Callum, Rayla?” he asked again, trying to be gentle but terrified of what the truth was.

Rayla only started crying and produced a piece of paper that she had been cradling between her body and knees.

Soren swallowed his fears, even as they grew and he began reading.

_To Rayla, my love,_

_I love you. I’m sorry for what I am about to, but know, that it’s because I love you and our unborn child so much. Claudia is almost entirely gone. We’ll starve before the snow melts. I’m going to give you a fighting chance. You and our child. I wish I could be there to see them, to see the grow up and grow old with you. But I can’t. I love you, so I willing sacrifice myself for you. Eat me for your sake, my sake, and that of the new life growing within you._

_I’m sorry, and never forget, I love you._

_Your loud mage,_

_Callum_

Sucked in a breath as he loked up the letter, tears in his eyes.

“Rayla… I’m sorry. At least you are okay.H-How’s your baby?” Soren asked, trying not to sob as he hugged Rayla.

“I-I lost it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, talk about a happy meal!  
> Spoiler alert, she was also cradled Callum's frozen and preserved head.
> 
> In all seriousness though, I have a balm for this heartache. Some good old fashioned smut, chapter 55 of Recrudescence is being posted right after this, in all it's smutty glory.


	20. Day Nineteen: Battlelines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum found Rayla after she left, and brought her back, for a time. But eventually their relationship decayed and she left again. Now, five years since he last saw her, Callum meets her again, as he prepares to kill the Elven Archmage Aaravos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was fun to write. Nearly sucked a tear or two out of me, but not quite.

“Y-You’re working with Aaravos?” Callum asked, stunned as Rayla stood before him.

“Yes, he wants to make the world better, Callum, unite it as it was before.”

“By controlling everyone! The fucker killed Ezran, Rayla!

“No, Callum, no,” Rayla tried to reply sweetly. “That was Viren, Aaravos dumped Viren and Claudia, years ago whe-”

“No.” Callum growled, interrupting her, “He sanctioned their hit! He has been using them as an ‘outside’ boogeyman, conveniently killing his dissenters!”

“Callum,” Rayla growled, the anger in her voice barely contained, “Your advisors have been lying to you, Callum!”

‘No, Aaravos lied to you, Rayla.” Callum growled. “Step aside and I’ll prove it to you.”

“I won’t Callum.” Rayla replied as she stretched her neck and pulled at her collar to reveal a ribbon around her throat.

Callum felt his anger flare as he recognized the binding. “You… You bound yousrself?”

“Yes, because I belevie in his cause, Callum. Join us, join me, please.”

“You did all that for _him_?” Callum growled venomously. “You weren’t willing to marry me, to state for the entire world that you loved me, but you’re willing to bind yourself to a man who take away all freewill?”

“Cal-”

“No!” Callum spat, “You don’t get to ‘Cal’ me! I’d ask if you ever cheated on me with him when we were sti-”

“How dare you!” Rayla shouted back at him.

“How dare I? Let me tell you this now, I’m going to kill Aaravos!”

“I can’t let you do that, Cal.” Rayla said, her voice calm once more. “Please, don’t make me kill you.”

“I won’t,” Callum promised, hoping that Rayla could feel the hurt in his voice. “But you have already made up your mind to kill me. Just like I’ve already made up my mind to kill Aaravos.”

“No,” Rayla cried out, “Don’t make me do this Callum, please, I love you!”

“I love you too, Rayla. But this is bigger than me, or you, or us. This is about the world.” Callum countered defiantly. “But I won’t kill you. And I won’t let that stupid take you from me.”

Callum watched as Rayla flicked her blades open and charged towards him. As he hastily drew a rune with each hand. He would be true to his word. He wouldn’t kill her, only incapacitate. Because he loved her.

“WHY?!” Rayla screamed as she held Callum’s head in her lap. “Why did you make me stab you?! I love you!”

“Liar,” Callum exhaled before he is eyes glazed over and his breathing stopped.

“Callum!” Rayla sobbed, “Why? Why couldn’t you have just joined me?”

Footsteps attracted her attention, and she looked up to see Aaravos.

“Why wouldn’t he join us? You said I could convince him!” Rayla cried.

“Oh, child, you’re injured. Looks nasty.” Aaravos commented Rayla looked back down at Callum’s lifeless body.

“He was right, you know.” Aaravos commented, his voice drawing Rayla’s tearful gaze back to him. He had small dagger in his hands.

“I withheld key facts, and I asked Viren to kill King Ezran.” Aaravos purred in his deep voice.

“Wh- no, no!”

“You’ve outlived your usefulness,” he added with a grin, before pricking his finger on the dagger.

Suddenly the bind on her neck tightened, choking Rayla. Panic flooded through her veins as her air was cut off and the constriction only increased. Rayla felt even the blood flow be cut off, as she quickly became woozy. As the cracking in her neck reached her ears, her final thoughts were on Callum’s last words. _Liar_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all liked it.
> 
> Day 20 could be described as fluffy.


	21. Day Twenty: Horny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla has a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a small, but fun little piece.

“Rayla,” Callum whispered in Rayla’s ear as he wrapped his arms.

“Callum!” Rayla squeaked in surprise.

“You thought you could leave me behind.” The hurt in his voice was palpable.

“I-I wanted to protect you. I-I-” She replied, on the verge of tears.

“Shh, it’s okay, Rayla.”

“Thanks,” Rayla sniffed as she turned her head to kiss him.

As cold, stiff lips met hers, Rayla froze an opened here eyes. Gone were Callum’s arms wrapped around her, gone was the warm, cackling, fire. Instead she was in her nightmares. Staring at Callum encased in ice. She recoiled in horror and jerked backwards, “Callum!”

Rayla shot up with a gasp, early sunlight streaming through the glass of her window. She continued to breath heavily as she recounted everything. She had left Callum at the Nexus. He came after as she should have known he would. He found her and they argued before kissing away their woes.

He convinced her to come back to Katolis. Here, they would access to the spies of the entire continent, and possible instances of dark magic were to be reported and to Katolis. They would find Viren and end his threat.

Rayla got of the bed and walked towards the washroom. But mid-way, she froze. Backing up, Rayla face the mirror on the wall.

Her eyes widened and the fear from her nightmare was back as she saw the gore on her horns.

“No…” Rayla gasped as she whirled around to look at her bed. She had fallen asleep in Callum’s arms, and he wasn’t.

“Callum!” Rayla shouted as she rushed to him.

Rayla screamed when she saw the puddle of red and the wounds on his face, “NO!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed. That name was misleading, wasn't it?
> 
> Prompts I couldn't get to work: Necrotic virus. I tried. I really did. But alas... Too tacky.
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this little ficlet.


	22. Day Twenty-One: Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum seeks revenge on the trio of villains, while Rayla is just catching up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This gets layered in darkness. Like a triple layer dark chocolate cake, with each layer getting richer. Hmmm, now I want some chocolate cake. Damn...  
> Enjoy!

Anger surged through Callum’s veins as he watched the trio, plotting their next move. He remembered what they did to him. He remembered his plan to exact his revenge. He seethed in his righteous anger as he remembered that day they did this to him…

_**Three years earlier...** _

“Mongrel,” Viren had snarled.

“Dad!” Claudia had chastised him. “That’s no way to talk to Callum!”

“I found you, so that means Rayla must have. What did you do to her?!”

“The elf girl from the Moon Nexus? What does she-” Callum had watched as Caludia froze in recognition. “You like her… Don’t you?”

“It’s none of your damned business!”

“Oh yes, it is!” Claudia shot back before taking in a deep breath. “I know that I kind of took advantage of and simultaneously spurned your little crush, but I wouldn’t have agreed to our date at the Nexus if I hadn’t felt anything at all. On some level, I do like you Callum.”

“So, what. I love Rayla and she lo-” Callum had started before freezing. The moment he saw Claudia’s eyes widened ever so slightly; he knew he had said too much.

“What?” she had coldly asked. “You would choose an elf over me? I can teach you magic, I-”

“Viren,” the star-touched elf had interrupted her, “There is something unusual about him.”

“What?” the older dark mage had half snarled, half gasped.

“What is your secret, boy?”

The elf got close up to Callum, scrutinizing every inch of his face. Callum could feel his arcanums practically screaming out at him, warning him. He did everything he could to avoid matching his gaze, but eventually the elf grabbed him by the chin, while Viren held his eyes open.

“Ah, yes. A mage… A human archmage!”

“What?!” Claudia shrieked.

“Impossible!” growled Viren.

“Most interesting, young man. My name is Aaravos.” Aaravos’ deep voice almost seemed to reverberate in Callum’s bones.

“Why are you introducing yourself to the mongrel waste of space?”

“Because he has something of mine. Don’t you? A key… Perhaps.”

“No.” Callum had spat defiantly, but he must have had a tremor in his voice. Because Claudia immediately dug through his bag. She ended up growling in frustration and dumping the bag on the ground in front of her.

Literally screaming when his sketchbook fell to ground and opened itself to a sketch Callum had done of Rayla sleeping against his shoulder from his viewpoint. “FUCK!”

The star-touched elf, Aaravos, quickly snatched up the cube as it was falling through the air. He pointed it at Callum and grinned as it lit up. All six sides.

“Ah, finally. To be complete once more. I yearn for that feeling.” Aaravos purred. “Enim si hcihw taht, eud si tahw em ot evig, enim si lous ruoy, enim si, htgnerts rouy!”

Callum had screamed in pain as he felt his arcanums ripped from him, maybe even part of his soul. It continued for hours before he passed out. Only for it to begin again as he regained consciousness. The pattern repeated for days. In truth, Callum was unsure of how long it went on. He only had two hallmarks, the day Viren told him they had killed Rayla, and the day he woke up in a ditch. With no one in sight, and his arcanums all stripped from him.

He knew everything, still, but he couldn’t touch the primals. Even with a primal stone. The magic refused to even acknowledge his existence. No one had had explanation for it, only theories that Aaravos took his arcanums. He ripped them out of him, leaving him broken, or so they said.

_**Back in the present...** _

But Callum felt broken, its why he was here. Chasing Aaravos, Claudia, and Viren. He would kill them for what they had done. No matter the cost. It’s why he was hiding in the bushes outside of their camp, just waiting for Claudia to come near. He had watched her master the Ocean arcanum, and Viren the Earth Arcanum under Aaravos’ tutelage.

It was also apparently to Callum that Aaravos was a liar and playing a different game to Viren and Claudia. He was a far greater threat than either Claudia or Viren could ever be. But Callum knew that he could kill them. He would kill them for what they did to him, and for killing Rayla. He could enjoy peace.

Callum grinned as he emerged from the bushes into their camp, crushing the singing weasel paws in his hand.

Rayla breathed a sigh of relief as Claudia turned back to the camp, towards the star-touched elf and Viren. And away from her hiding place behind an ancient pine.

“It’s nothing, we-”

“Secoiv eht laets.” A loud voice commanded, shocking Rayla.

“What the fuck?” she whispered as her prey suddenly fell silent. They tried to shout, but they were completely silent. She almost darted forward to take of them when she heard the other voice again.

“Eno sa lla su dnib!”

A shiver ran down Rayla’s spine as she recognized the voice. _No, it can’t be him… He’s not only safe, in Katolis, but he wouldn’t use dark magic. Not again!_

But sure enough, a few short seconds later a familiar figure strolled into view. Even with white hair, grey, sagging skin, Dark eyes… It could only be Callum.

Rayla wanted to cry out his name, beg him to stop this, but she found herself rooted to her hiding place in fear. _Callum, what are you doing?_

His dark voice echoed in the clearing, “You took everything from me… You took my magic, my arcanums. And then you killed Rayla. You may as well have taken my soul… You die here, and now.”

“Gnihton otni meht nrub, etah I esoth nrub-”

“Callum!” Rayla called out, suddenly gaining her courage.

“seimene ym nrub!” Callum continued, prompting her to run up to him and grab his arm with her newfound courage. Rayla’s courage held he turned his dark eyes on her.

“Rayla? Ar-Are you really there?”

“Yes Callum, I’m ali- Ow!” Rayla began before shouting as Callum’s arm burned her. “What the fu-”

Rayla didn’t get to finish the thought as Callum pushed her, and sent her flying. Landing roughly, almost twenty feet away, she looked at him in shock.

“I’m sorry, Rayla. I love you and Ezran!” Callum shouted to her before flames erupted from his skin.

“NO!” Rayla screamed as she watched dark purple flames erupt from her love’s body and consume him. She looked away, for a brief moment, only see similar flames consume Aaravos, Claudia and Viren. She started crying as she turned her head back to Callum, in time to the flame snuff itself out.

But instead of Callum, there was only a pillar of black ash, that quickly crumbled, releasing a flurry of spark into the air. Three similar whispers informed her of the fate of the others, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the pile that used to be Callum. Her shocked mind unable to care that Callum has used dark magic. She only cared that her nightmare came true. Callum, her Callum was dead, because she left him behind. She wasn’t there to protect him. _This is my fault…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this exquisite pain! This chapter was so named because a common theme when destiny and fate are involved is that we often bring about our fates and destinies by seeking to avoid them. Especially our most tragic ones.
> 
> Day 23 will be a near miss! Only hint I'm going to give, way too impressed with the general prompt behind Day 23.


	23. Day Twenty-two: Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In disguise, Callum seeks information regarding Rayla. Rayla does the same, also in disguise. In the same inn. Guess who has the information the other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this was a fun concept. The angst is more implied, I mean... No spoilers.

Callum raised the tankard to his lips and took another swig. It had been a long time, since Rayla left, and Viren was killed. He had been looking for her, but to no avail. He had even been travelling in disguise using the moonshadow arcanum, Naturally, an earthblood elf.

“Ah, fuck, that disgusting.” Callum breathed quietly. The ale in Evenere was truly disgusting. Alcohol was, generally speaking, disgusting. But he was meeting an informant here, so he had to blend in, and real alcohol might put hair on his chest, but is would also leave him inebriated.

His eyebrows raised as a blonde woman slid into the seat across from him. She sized him while he did the same. Maybe an inch or shorter than his 5’10”, hard to tell sitting down, though. Something about her was eerily familiar, and he didn’t like it. In the ten years he had been on the road, with only trips back home the trail led through Katolis, many in disguise had tried to kill him.

“Terry, I presume?” her Eveneran accent was slight, tinging her words with a hint of levity, of flow.

“Caylen?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“I hear you have some information for me?” They began simultaneously, before realizing it. Callum only took another drink of his tankard while she did the same.

“Let’s try this, tell me, who you’re looking for?” Callum replied, his own, faked, accent twanging in his ears. Before quickly adding, “Know that if you skip out with giving me my information, I will kill you.”

“A man I once knew, from Katolis. He left his home to look for me, only to find my village razed during the Civil War. He seems to have gone adventuring, since. Name’s Jofus, brown hair, green eyes, ‘bout my height, give or take 2-3 inches.”

Callum quickly took another drink from his tankard, to hide his grimace. Remembering the old cover identity, he and Ezran hadn’t been sure, but apparently it actually was a name. A katolin name. Had to be from a minor fringe- border village though, to be so unusual. But he had heard of this Jofus. Apparently, another human mage, there were a few of them now.

“Yeah, I heard something about that,” is reply came as Callum scrutinized her even further. He could feel that something wasn’t right. The information was the freshest he had heard about in nearly seven years, and he knew this woman, but couldn’t place her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see the vambrace under her sleeves that had a moon opal embedded in it.”

“I’m looking for a moonshadow elf I used to know. Lilac eyes, similar height, been going by the name of Andromeda.”

Rayla winced internally but kept her physical appearance stoic. It was a common name, but all she could associate it with was her former colleague, who died all those years when she abandoned her troupe to escort the Dragon Prince home.

She also remembered the few times she used her old comrade’s name as a cover, but it was all coincidental.

“Yes, I have some information in that regard,” She replied, keeping her accent up. The information hadn’t been cheap to come by, but it was worth it for a lead on Callum. Even if she was so close to giving up. _This last place, then, I’ll give up and go back to Silvergrove, maybe see Ezran… No, it’s been too long._

“Your human is known to frequent the Oasis, at least twice a month, or so the rumors say.” Terry replied. “How long have you been tracking him?”

“Nearly six years,” Rayla sighed. She was unable to stop the sadness from leaking through.

“You sure your Katolin wants to be found? Six years is an awful long time to track someone and never find ‘em.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Rayla tried to growl but found herself surprising at ease with the earthblood.

“Your moonshadow has been seen in Neolandia, as of late. Working as a mercenary from what I hear. Assassinations, mostly.”

Callum wanted to shout and call the woman a liar, but he found himself pondering the possible veracity of her claim. It had been a long time, nearly a decade since she left, and over eight years since he saw her last, when she ran from. Hence why he took to travelling in disguise whenever a lead was fresh. Maybe Rayla was a killer now, and if she was would he want to be with her anymore?

“What do you want with the moonshadow?” Caylen asked, her voice drawing Callum out of his head.

“I fell in love with her when I met her, years ago. But she had something to do that pulled her away, I tried to follow her, but she wouldn’t have it.” Callum sighed, “I followed any way. It’s taken the better part of a decade of a decade to get this close.”

“You must really love her,” Caylen observed.

“Truthfully, I thought I did. But maybe it was the pointless first love you always hear about.”

“In those gods-awful plays?” Caylen smiled mirthfully. It lit up her up face, and she was gorgeous. Still not much of a substitute for Rayla. At least the version of her that she remembered.

“Yeah,” Callum chuckled, before turning serious. “That said… A decade is a long time. I left my brother in the care of our Aunt, and he’s about to get married. So, I’m going to give it one last shot. If I don’t find her this time, I’m going to go home.”

“I get the impression that she doesn’t want to be found.” Rayla replied taking a swig of her own ale.

“No, no I don’t think she does. We didn’t part on the best of terms, and the last I time I saw her, she took off like Prince Callum,”

Callum didn’t feel all that comfortable taking the euphemism around his name. But it was what people did now. They talked about the step-prince who journeyed to Xadia to bring peace. He was the first human to learn primal magic, who mastered all six primals, who taught others and could disappear and reappear without a trace. Almost every tale was a gross exaggeration. Almost.

A grimace on the face of his informant told him that she didn’t take too kindly to it either.

“I can’t say I ever approved of the euphemism, but it fits.” Callum conceded, appearing to calm the human across from him.

“You ever meet him?” She quietly asked.

“Once, in the Shiverglades. Nothing more than a chance encounter,” Callum lied. “You?”

“Once upon a time,” she replied with a small smile.

“If that smile is anything to go by, I’d say you’re in love with him?” Callum decided to tease the poor Eveneren.

“No, gods, no!” She denied without the slightest blush. Callum only chuckled in reply, though it did feel like a tiny kick to ego’s balls. _Ouch! At least I still have Rayla_ , Callum thought before doubt clouded over his memories.

Rayla sighed, clearly, this elf wasn’t going to take no. Normally she might kick his ass, but something about her. She decided best to tease him, instead.

“You know, I met Rayla of Silvergrove, once,” She countered, knowing full well that most elves had a crush on her. She almost laughed when she the way his ears perked up. “Yeah, about three years ago, up in Duren.”

“Really?” The credulity in his voice was overwhelming.

“Let me tell you, Terry, she was smoking hot.” Rayla teased, unable to resist the urge to brag about herself. “I’m not normally tempted by women, but damn is she fine!”

Rayla felt her words hang the air for few brief seconds before asking, “How was your meeting with Callum, the mage prince?” She had heard some of the rumors, that her boyfriend was an archmage, and incredibly handsome.

“There are elements of truth to all rumors.” Terry replied, “Prince Callum has an unquestioned magical mastery. His intelligence is quite likely unparalleled. I watched him beat a star dragon in a debate about inevitability vs free-will.”

Callum finished off his mug, as did Rayla, before the pair rose from their seats. They shook each other’s hands, noting how strange the shake felt. Each doing nothing more noting it. It was a mystery for another time, when important business wasn’t to be had elsewhere.

“Thank you, you’ve done me a great service,” Rayla said the Earthblood elf, as they each put down a gold piece for their drink.

“And you, me. If you are ever in Earthblood territory, ask around.” Callum replied, lying to the woman, he walked with her to the door.

“Thanks for the offer, but this it for me. I’ll be heading back home if Jofus isn’t there. I guess, things sometimes aren’t meant to be. I’ve had more than enough adventure for several lifetimes,” Rayla replied as she and Terry exited the tavern.

“Good luck!” they bid each other at the same time. Laughing, the pair parted ways. Low on hope, and unaware of how close they both were. _Maybe in another life_ , they each thought about the other’s disguises, even as their thoughts fell to each other and despair grew.

As Callum went north, he reflected, _Is happiness even possible without Rayla?_

While Rayla headed east, she pondered, _Was life without Callum worth anything?_

The couple came up with the same thoughts and they got further apart, _No, it isn't._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They are going to not find each other, and give up. Going home, or dying en route. Living long miserable lives.  
> Fun concept and not one I'm going to ever have the will or time to explore. But feel to explore it if you wish.


	24. Day Twenty-Three: Greater Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla is stunned to see a sickly Callum stagger into her camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this took a while. My bad, I got too much stuff going on today. But I do have it out at... 4:25 pm. Better late than never.

“Rayla,” gasped a familiar voice from behind Rayla.

Rayla bolted upright and turned, sword at the ready when she saw him. Callum staggered out of the shadows and into the light cast by her fire. He was pale, sweaty and his face contorted into a look of pain. Rayla didn’t fail to notice the sickly gash on his neck, horribly swollen and mis colored. A deep purple with a green tinge along the edge.

Rayla braced herself for the smell, even as she rushed to catch Callum. The human staggering and swaying on his feet, on the verge of collapse. But strangely, Rayla didn’t smell anything.

“Callum, it’s okay, it’s okay, I got you.” Rayla murmured as she walked him over by the fire before helping him sit down by it. His skin had always felt good against hers, his hands in hers had ways of eliciting joy. But now… Now they felt cold.

Once he was sitting down, Rayla quickly grabbed a blanket and draped it over him. As she worried about him. He was sick, but what was he sick with?

Rayla moved to sit beside Callum as he shivered. Her heart skipped a bit as his head came to rest on her shoulder. She felt herself blush, as the feelings she had been missing flooded her. Rayla smiled tenderly as she felt Callum quickly fall asleep against.

“Oh, Callum, what happened to you?” Rayla whispered as she made sure her human was firmly wrapped in the blanket. After that, she let her mind wander.

“Rayla,” Callum’s voice eventually sounded drawing her attention. “I-Is that really you?”

“Yeah, Callum. It’s me,” Rayla replied warmly, despite her concern. “What happened to you?”

“I-I left to look for you,” Callum murmured. His voice weak, and sickly. “But you were too hard to find.”

“I-I’m sorry, Callum,” Rayla faltered. “I just wanted to keep you safe. I was afraid that dark magic would take you from me. Like it took my parents.

“I’m sorry I left you.”

“It’s okay,” Callum quietly replied. “I was angry with you, for a few weeks, but I’m not. I’m with you now.”

“Sap,” Rayla accused with a giggle.

Callum laughed softly alongside her, before the cackling fire and distant insects dominatedthe air once again. “I found them.”

“Hmm?” Rayla asked as she found her self dozing.

“I found Viren, Rayla.”

At the mention of the dark mages name, Rayla felt energy flood her body. “What? Where Callum, where is he?”

“He’s no longer a threat. Neither is Claudia.” Callum replied calmly, coldly almost.

“What? Yes, Callum, Viren is a threat!”

“He isn’t.” Callum insisted.

“Wha-” Rayla started before it dawned on her.

“I-i- is that what happened to your neck.”

“Yes. Viren had a friend. An elf, by the name of Aaravos.”

“What?” Rayla asked as she recalled the tales about Aaravos. A star-touched elf who fell in love with a human. For her sake he organized them, interceded with the unicorns on their behalf. Even making a legendary weapon for his son, the discoverer of Dark Magic. “A-are you sure?”

“Yes. He did this to me but told of me of the cure.” Callum replied from her shoulder. “He wants to be stopped, he wants to die, Rayla.”

“Callum, where is he, we have to stop hi-” Rayla began before Callum looked at her and pressed his lips to hers. Rayla kissed him back until she felt pain blossom in her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Rayla. The world is at stake.” Callum whispered.

Rayla’s vision blurred with tears as she felt the warm blood on her skin. _Callum stabbed me._ She realized, causing a second center of pain from her heart. The same feelings she had when she left him at the moon Nexus all those months ago.

Her voice shook as pain and fear overwhelmed. “Ca-Callum, w-wh-why?”

“I love you, but this is bigger than us. It’s about everyone else, and only an archmage can stop him. If we had more time, there would another way. I love you, so much, Rayla. Please forgive me.” Callum said as tears fell from his green eyes and he continued with a sob. “Htgnerts ym si egdelwonk ruoy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is one life, against many? Not much. Even if it is Rayla, even if it is 1/2 of Rayllum. R.I.P.  
> P.S. Moon was the last one Callum needed.


	25. Day Twenty-Four: Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla returns to find a new Callum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is late. But still publishing Day 25 today. Yesterday was just a rough day for me. More than one emergency.

“My King.” Callum remarked as he bowed.

The lack of emotion in his brother’s voice chilled Ezran. It had for quite some time, and Ezran would never be used to it.

“Callum, you’re my brother. You don’t need to kneel before me.”

“I revoked my titles and privileges, Sire.” Callum said, still facing the floor.

Ezran could only sigh in response. He had been this dance with his brother for three years now. Ever since he came back from his second attempt to find Rayla. He changed on that trip, went from being Callum to… this.

Ezran shot a sideways glance to the curtain that concealed the elf behind it. Ezran’s heart ached for what he knew Rayla would be experiencing. He had tried to tell her what his brother was now, but she… She didn’t want to listen.

“Callum, do you remember Rayla? The elf you helped us get to the Storm Spire. Your girlfriend?”

“Yes. What of her?” Callum asked, the boredom in his voice apparent

“Well,” Ezran began, before he had been bracing for happened. Rayla jumped out out of the curtain and towards Callum. Only for him to grab an outstretched arm and pull her to him.

For a moment, Ezran felt hopeful. But he knew that he shouldn’t have, his disappoint many times greater than what it would have been if he had just been realistic. Ezran sighed as he it unfold.

Callum jerked Rayla off her feet, as he twisted her wrist and placed his other forearm across her elbow. She cried out as he sank to one knee, pulling her with him. Slamming the elf down onto her knees with arm locked in an arm bar.

Rayla was stunned. One moment she was reaching Callum, and now she on her knees, facing the floor, and immobile. One hand, Rayla was impressed. Her dorky human had managed to put her in an arm bar. On the other hand, Rayla was concerned.

This wasn’t like Callum, at all. It had been three years since she left, but the change was drastic. He had grown for one. But that wasn’t the only change. She had heard his voice, the formality within it. He didn’t sound like Callum, he di-”

“Callum,” Ezran barked, “Let go of my advisor.”

“Of course, Your highness.” Callum acceded before Rayla felt him release her. “My apologies, Rayla. So not sneak up on me.”

“Callum…” Rayla murmured as she stood up. Her name on his lips had made her flutter, but it also chilled her. He appeared emotionless, apathetic. And it horrified her. “Can we talk?”

“Why?” Callum asked, turning his gaze to her.

Rayla suppressed a gasp as she saw his face. His face was marred with several scars, including one that stretched from his forehead to his jaw. Her heart felt like it was going to break. “Because I’m sorry I left you. At the Moon Nexus.”

“So?” Callum asked.

“I love you, Callum. D-Do you still love me?”

“No.”

“W-What?” Rayla asked she fought back the sadness that now upwelled from inside her. Her worst fears all seemed to be coming true.

“Emotions, and love, are useless.” Replied Callum, his still even and apathetic. “I have found my calling. And I wouldn’t have if you hadn’t left. I would have never left to look for you alone. I would have never been attacked on the road, and I would have never known the relief of spilling another’s blood.”

Rayla saw a grin on Callum’s face as he finished speaking, and she felt more alone and depressed than ever. Memories of their time together, of her dorky, dumb human. Of Callum.

They had been what kept her going until she found and planted the tracking spell onto Viren and his group, Claudia and that star-touched elf.

“Now, if you ever have anyone you need killed, King Ezran knows where to find me. No discounts.” Callum replied before he turned left the throne room. Leaving Rayla and Ezran alone, as she started crying. Her sobs filling the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have fun? See you later today for 25.


	26. Day Twenty-Five: Fevered Passions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum finds Rayla in a plague zone. With dire consequences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this features a pandemic, much like we have in the world at large right now. If you lost a loved one to COVID-19, you probably don't want to read. It's all implied as opposed to explicitly written, but pain and trauma don't work like.   
> I lost a close member, due an asphyxiation related cause. It may have been eight years ago, but I still don't like reading anything involving asphyxiation.  
> You have been warned.

27

Callum catches up to Rayla in a plague zone. She dies in his arms. Cuts to inn outside of Katolis, a sick Callum wonders in before leaving.

“H-Hey,” the sunfire elf coughed, forcing Callum to turn around and look at him again.

“What?”

“It’s a plague zone,” the elf managed before another coughing fit overtook him. Callum had nearly turned away before the coughing fit ceased, and the elf gasped for breath a few times.

“D-D-Don’t go… in.”

“Look, I have to go in there. My girlfriend left me to do something extremely stupid and reckless. And I know she’s in there. I would rather do that stupid and reckless together, especially if it doesn’t end well.” Callum countered.

“Fine,” the elf wheezed as he pulled the lever and the drawbridge into the city fell with a thud. “I warned you, human.”

It had been a year since he saw Rayla. Nearly a year and a half since she left, and this was it. It was his last chance to find her. It didn’t take Callum long to thoroughly explore most of the city. It was a small city, at best. The streets were lined with sick, and dead. The smell ofsickness and death was almost overwhelming.

“Rayla!” Callum called out once more. “RAYLA!”

As he checked the last streets, with his calls leadingthe way Callum stopped. Lowering his head in defeat he was struggling not to cry. If Rayla wasn’t here, then she truly was on her own. Hunting the most dangerous trio in the world. He knew that she didn’t have a chance, not after he learned about Aara-.

“C-Callum,” coughed a voice to his right.

Recognizing the voice, despite how weak it was, Callum turned.

“Rayla?” As Callum’s eyes met with the sitting figure, he knew it was her. He couldn’t forget her lilac eyes, or her face. He had a perfect memory. As Callum knelt beside her, he cried out as he embraced her “Rayla?!”

“Callum?’ Rayla weakly replied, her voice sounded on the edge of breaking, and her eyes were watery “Is that really you?”

Callum pressed his lips to her’s, and his heart skipped a beat as she responded. He could feel the fever from her forehead from a distance, but he didn’t let it deter him. He had missed her lips, her light- hearted sarcasm. Callum had missed her more then he had realized was possible. 

Callum scooped her into his arms as they broke off the kiss. “Come on, Rayla.”

“You’re actually here?”

“Of course, I am,” Callum chuckled. “Did you honestly think a letter would stop me from following you? I followed you off a cliff. You are stuck with me until you want to actually dump me.”

**_ Six Months later… _ **

Ailas grinned as the human fell over. He laughed as he grabbed and finished his opponent’s beer. “Never challenged an Earthblood elf to a drinking contest!”

He had been worried when the sick human had stumbled into the inn, several days ago. It looked like the kid had the Xadian death fever. A horrible disease, that his people were immune too, but could wreak havoc on other elves, and maybe humans. But no one seemed to have a fever or was coughing. Of course, neither had the human, leaving Ailas sure that it was a magical disease.

The poor guy. He had been rambling about getting back home, to Katolis. And about his dead girlfriend. He had said a moonshadow’s name but given how much he puked and shit himself… Ailas was more than certain that the poor bastard had just been hallucinating from dehydration. Especially once he said something about being able to sky magic.

The poor fool barely lasted a day in bed. Ailas had sent word to the friends he mentioned. Well, the only one who he gave clear information on. A Soren, of the Crownguard. The poor green eyed human died, and Ailas was on the verge of torching his body himself. The kid reeked and was already decomposing. He had to build a little earthen tom b to store him in so his stopped stinking up the inn. It was the least he could for the inn owners who were allowing him and his caravan to stay here while waiting for their Royal permit to trade in Katolis.

What Ailas didn’t see is the humans who left with a rash. The coughing started just as the first infected reached Katolis, about three days away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it's too vague or you don't want to beleive it, let me spell it out. Rayla dies, Callum gets sick and dies near Katolis. The virus only infected things with arcanums, but thanks to Callum it has now jumped to magicless humans. Pandemic!  
> Remember, tomorrow is halloween, and I saved the most horrible chapter for then. And it is, undoubtedly a horror chapter.   
> I'll post at midnight my time, in less than four hours. I recommend you wait to read tomorrow's chapter until it is dark outside, and in the light of the blue moon, if you can. For maximum effect.


	27. Day Twenty-Six: Halloween!: Extinction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla returns to Katolis, finding the Pentarchy nearly empty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOOO!  
> Officially Halloween for over an hour in my timezone. Had some computer issues.  
> This chapter is best read while it is dark outside, perhaps while superheroes and ghouls roam outside (assuming your area is safe enough for it. My state and city are not yet. Too much virus).

Rayla had been stunned to find Katolis destroyed. The city was virtually erased, and the only hint to its existence was the stone castle. And even of it, very little remained. While she had taken effort to avoid humans while she tracked Viren into Katolis, she should have seen someone on the road.

Especially when she turned around and headed towards the moon nexus. She was never a mage, but Lujanne was. Lujanne could either come with her to show her what happened or teach her the spell to know. It had only been a few years since she left.

Rayla’s fears rose as she saw the village at the base of the Cursed Caldera. It had been torched, with people in it. Not many, Rayla only found a dozen or so charred skeletons, but very little remained of the village other than the skeletons. A few charred walls, and very little else.

She quickly convinced Lujanne to come with her, as the elder elf described a night, over a month ago, when dark, purple fire rained from the sky on the village. Phoe-phoe had been sent to try and save whom she could, but the moon phoenix had not come back. In light of the unknown, Lujanne had been bound to remain at the Nexus, at least until Rayla revealed that no one was around.

Rayla held her breath as Lujanne cast the spell. Her thoughts firmly rooted to the present. Word had come from Xadia as well since then. Flames had descended from the sky, devouring visiting human merchants, and an expedition to Duren had found the kingdom almost completely deserted. A grand total of a hundred humans had been found alive, each reporting the same columns of purple fire that descended from the sky like rain, devouring their fellow Durenians.

“Historia Viventum!” Lujanne’s commanding voice echoed, as they spell emanated from her. Rayla let out a sigh of relief as it took effect.

Ghostly figures appeared while see through buildings rose and the castle rebuilt itself. Rayla watched, with bated breath as battle unfolded around them. She recognized several figures. Soren, Corvus, Claudia, Viren and Callum.

Her heart fluttered a bit as she laid eyes on him. He had grown a fair bit, and maybe taller than her. He was also more handsome than she imagined, and his use of over dozen spell from three arcanum displayed a mastery over magic that stunned her, and even sent a shiver of arousal through her. He looked dangerous.

But her gawking quickly ended as the tide of battle and Viren’s army of elves and humans pushed back against the Katolins. Naturally, Viren and Callum ended up dueling. She watched as stray fireball from Viren set the town alit, casting pale orange light and magical duelists.

However, in the end, Claudia jumped between them. She saw Callum hesitate for a split second. That was a mistake. Viren’s next spell struck the girl, and Callum rushed to her aid. But there was nothing he could do for Claudia. The earthen spike had pierced the girl’s neck, and the ground was already soaked in her blood by the time Callum reached her.

Rayla almost screamed at Callum to look when he didn’t see Viren approach. She did actually cry out when he grabbed her boyfriend by the throat and lifted him up. And what she heard next chilled her to the bone.

Viren had something in his other hand and shouted, “Eciov eht laets.”

Callum attempted to cast a spell but no sound came out of his mouth.

“You thought you could win, blood traitor!” Viren growled in Callum’s ear, “You can’t win!”

Rayla’s hope grew for a moment when Soren appeared behind Viren. “Let go of the Prince, Dad!”

“Ytinamuh yarteb dlouw ohw esoth llik.” Viren commanded as Soren’s sword pierced his back.

“NOOOO!!!!” Rayla screamed as Callum gave off an unearthly scream and burst into hellish purple flames.

She watched, in horror as he grew into a tower of flames. Tendrils split off of it and rushed into the other humans around them. Soren was the first, a tendril slamming onto him from above, engulfing him for a half a second before dissipating.

Soren looked fine for a moment and looked surprised. Until his skin started to crack and he fell backwards. Rayla watched as her friend exploded into ash as he hit the ground. And she felt tears start.

Looking away, she watched as more tendrils rushed out, each one slamming into and engulfing a different person. She felt sick as the tendrils reached farther, slamming into buildings, and nearly screamed again as a horde of tendrils slammed into the castle, nearly vaporizing it.

Despair engulfed she looked up and saw more tendrils spread out over the sky, racing out and over the horizon. Blotting out the sun, and bathing Lujanne and Rayla in their soft, dark glow. . Rayla had close her eyes, trying to tune the horror out, but all she could hear was Callum’s inhuman scream, and all she could see was the dark magic flames engulfing life after life.

“Oh sources,” she heard Lujanne whisper next to her. The older woman was definitely crying, as Rayla was.

It was over an hour before the tower of flames stop spitting out tendrils of flame, and it fell back to the earth. The tower disappeared to reveal Callum. Rayla almost screamed for joy, until something happened.

He patted himself down, before turning to look at the castle. She watched as his expression shifted from amazement to horror as he saw the castle was obliterated. Even as he realized that the city around was gone. She cried out as dark, glowing cracks appeared in his skin.

“EZZZRAAAAAN!” he screamed, his face contorted in pain, before bits of him blew away in a breeze. Callum’s pain was even more evident, as he turned, seemingly looking at Rayla as more of him blew away with the wind.

“They’re all gone...” he managed to whisper with half of his face gone before the rest of him scattered with the wind in the span of a second.

Rayla’s vision was obscured by tears as she heard Lujanne sob behind her. Taking a few steps towards where Callum had been. She couldn’t hold her sobs anymore as she felt her heart turn to ash inside and blow away after Callum. “No, no, no, no, no! CALLUM!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That image of Soren exploded into ash, and Callum dissolving with the wind... Oooh delicious.  
> Please do let me know what you thought of this halloween chapter the near extinction of humanity, courtesy of Viren... and Callum.


	28. Day Twenty Seven: Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla seeks out Callum, not believing the warnings of Soren and Ezran. After all, that much can't change in five years. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoy this one!

Rayla could barely breathe as she watched from afar. It was just like Soren had warned her. Callum… he wasn’t himself. Gone was her dorky prince, and instead she found herself staring at a handsome young man. Swarmed by women, human and elf alike. He lips on a different girl every second, his hands freely groping them.

 _No! No!_ she screamed internally, _This isn’t him. He’s just hurt from what I said in the letter and he’s never been able to heal. I-I have to talk to him_.

Rayla stomped forward, her anger and hurt were not concealed. In fact, it felt almost like an aura surrounding her, she realized as other taverns patrons cleared the way to Callum. Each of them afraid of the raw emotion radiating from the moonshadow elf.

“Callum!” Rayla shouted, not even caring at this point if her emotions were hidden. _I fucking waited Callum! I know that I wrote horrible things in the letter I left, but I couldn’t let you follow me._

Callum pulled his lips away from a busty tidebound elf and looked at her. His green eyes still had a piercing gaze, one sent and undercurrent of lust through her. _How can he still make me weak in the knees after five years?_

“Do I know you?” he asked, confused.

“Don’t pull that shit on me Callum, I know you have a perfect memory!” Rayla snarled.

“What do you want, Rayla?” Callum sighed as the girls around him settled into the seating. His arms snaked around the two closest girls and squeezed a breast, drawing moans from the two girls, and giggles from the rest.

“What the fuck is this?!” Rayla spat.

“Umm… My night’s entertainment?” Callum replied confusedly, “I’d make room for you, but-“

“What?!” Rayla shrieked as she felt her eyes begin to water.

“I said, they are the night’s cum dump-”

“Callum…” Rayla interrupted, unable to keep her sadness out of her voice. _He’s moved on? I know I let him go with the letter bu-_

“What?” Callum growled as his name passed her lips.

“I-I know what I wrote in the letter, but I couldn’t have you follow me. I-”

“Typical.”

“I- What?”

“Everything is always about you. You are incapable of thinking about anyone else around you! You do whatever you please because you hate yourself and want to punish yourself!” Callum angrily shouted, making the women by him uncomfortable, as the outer two of the six slipped out without a word.

Callum stood up at that point, clearly furious. “You don’t consider how other people around you suffer, when you decide that you have to die! Whether it’s leaping off a cliff, or chasing down a dark mage on your own!”

“I struggled for a long time with why you do that! Do you know I came up with?! That you don’t care about anyone else, and are incapable of being anything other than a selfish bitch with a death wish!”

“Callum, I-I love you. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Fuck you!” Callum screamed. “You never loved me, all I was just another fucking casualty in your war to kill yourself! Since you want to die, so much, I never understood why you wouldn’t just fucking kill yourself!”

Rayla snapped as Callum lobbed his hate and hurt at her. Her anger and sadness flooded as she started crying. “You fucking asshole! I didn’t want to be killed by Viren! I love you so much, Callum! I waited till I could be back with you!”

Silence rang out, only broken by their heavy breathing. The tavern was dead silence. Rayla let out a solitary sob, before Callum came to her. She moved to embrace him only to be stopped by his hand on her chest. Rayla looked into his eyes, trying to suppress another sob.

His gaze was cold, and angry. When his mouthed opened, his voice was full of ice. “Go fuck yourself, Rayla.” Callum pushed passed her, making a point to shove her with his shoulder. “I don’t want to ever see you again, bitch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what'd everyone think?  
> Hope it was a worthy addition, I'll see you all tomorrow.


	29. Day Twenty-Eight: Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callums finds Rayla hours after she left. They have an enlightening and productive conversation... Not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Late, but its here. 20 minutes before being late, too.

“Rayla!” Callum shouted he spotted the elf.

“Callum?!” Rayla answered, “No, no, no, no, no. Y-You have to go back! You can’t be here w-with… with me.”

“What?! Rayla, you said that we would do this together! You promised!”

“Callum, you can’t. If you come with me, you’ll just get hurt!”

“No, I won’t Rayla!” Callum insisted.

“Yes, you will, I see it. Every night!” Rayla cried back in exasperation.

“Rayla,” Callum said gently as he moved to embrace her, “They are just dreams.”

“No, they aren’t Callum! You don’t understand because you aren’t an elf!”

Callum froze when Rayla backed away from him and her words reached his ears.Fear and anger raced through his thoughts as he contained his hurt and urge to lash out. _Not an elf?! Am I not good enough for you? Is the fact that I love you suddenly not sufficient?_

“You might have an arcanum but you aren’t Xadian. Dreams hold significance, they are gifts from the stars and are about our destinies! If I don’t stop Viren, your destiny will be the same as my parents! I just don’t want you to die, you stupid human!”

“Rayla…”

“Just go back, Callum, please!”

“No, Rayla.” Callum replied firmly. “Destiny is a path we choose for ourselves, not set in stone!”

Callum grabbed Rayla’s shoulders gently, “We can do this. Together, Rayla. Nothing can stop the two of us, we slipped passed Sol Regem! Together we can find and take down Viren.”

Callum’s hope was shattered as Rayla sobbed. “No, Callum, we can’t. I don’t want to lose you!”

“Well, fine if that’s how you feel. I won’t go with you.”

Rayla hugged him and sobbed against, “Tha-ank you. I lo-”

“But you can’t stop me from following you.” Callum interrupted defiantly.

“No… Please, Callum, please just go back!”

“No! I’m not letting you do this on your own. And I won’t change my mind. Either we travel together, or I follow you like the lovesick puppy I am!”

“Fine,” Rayla appeared to relent, “I don’t want to do this, Callum, but I love you, and will protect you at any cost. Even if I have to hurt you.”

“Ray-AHHHHH” Callum screamed as Rayla’s foot shot out and connected to one of his knees with a sickening crunch.

Callum up as he continued to scream in pain. Rayla was crying as guilt and sadness crossed her face.

“I love you Callum.”

Rayla backed away to leave, as Callum reached and grabbed an ankle. He was desperate to hold on to any part of her. To not let her leave him, like his parents had.

“Rayla, no!”

Her fall happened so slowly in his eyes, that he saw everything. Even in the dawn’s early light. He hadn’t seen the rock before, but he did once Rayla started falling. A spark realization within him as he screamed her name. He hadn’t managed more than “RAY-” before she hit the rock, neck first and loud, sickening crunch echoed through the air. His voice suddenly failed him as her came to a rest. Still, and unbreathing. He had killed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snap, crackle, pop!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! We are nearly done.


	30. Day Twenty-Nine: Turnabout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum finds his and Rayla's roles reversed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this while I'm watching my nation's elections, and waiting for my election nachos to cook. Probably posted tomorrow's chapter right on my midnight, in a little over 5 hours. Hope everybody enjoys this chapters and the next.

Callum felt tears fall as he finished the letter, rolled it and sealed it with hot wax. He didn’t like doing this, but he had too. Aaravos was still out there, and he was far more dangerous than Viren or Claudia had ever dreamed of being.

Callum paused at the door, casting one last look at Rayla’s slumbering body worn out from their earlier exertions. He softly crept back and kissed her forehead tenderly, whispering “Goodbye, Rayla.”

Setting his jaw, Callum quietly left the room, and the Banther Lodge. Heading east towards his foe, and towards the destiny he had long accepted. One that Rayla had been resisting.

“Destiny is a path we choose,” Callum quietly reminded himself. He was choosing to leave Rayla. Choosing to put the burden of slaying Aaravos squarely on his own shoulders. “I chose this.”

It didn’t seem fair to Rayla, until Callum remembered the last seven years. He chased her around the continent. She only let him catch when she needed something from him. Intelligence, medical aid, somebody to talk to, a hug… comfort. Even after they lost their virginities to each other, the same cycle continued. Callum could go months without seeing her, only her to appear in his camp sites for help patching wounds, or somebody to talk to, and even the rare nights were she just wanted to feel him beside her.

It had been a never ending source of frustration for him, and no matter how she sought him out for a night of passion and slinked out,he had borne it stocially. If he showed fear, or anger, he had little doubt that she would have vanished, and he would have never seen her until she was either dead or victorious.

This time at the moon nexus was different. Or rather it could have been. She had waited for him here, a first. She crooned about how Claudia and Viren where dead. Having just learned from the dragons just how dangerous Aaravos, Callum hadn’t wanted to spoil their reunion. Not on the night before her birthday. But he learned from about an injured star-touched that she “rescued” from the pair of dark mages.

Callum instantly knew, as his star arcanum tingled, that it was Aaravos. The stars and the dragons had warned him about the elf’s goal. An end to all suffering, through one final moment of pain, the complete extinction of humanity, elves and dragons. In revenge for the ancient murder of his family.

Callum blinked away a few tears as the irony of situation almost made him want to laugh. She left on his birthday, and he was now leaving on hers. Especially after tonight, the promise he had just made, even knowing that he would immediately.

Callum swallowed his guilt as he tried to stop thinking about it. They had fought earlier, all of his insecurities regarding their relationship, spilling out and on to her. She had taken it in stride, though there had been some arguing, which quickly resulted in an aggressive, bordering on murderous, bout of hate sex.

That was the worst of all this. They made up afterwards in the after, and Callum had promised her that he would always be there, and that he never stopped loving her. She promised him that she would be there in the morning when he woke up. He trusted her, but he wouldn’t be waking up with her.

But the dreams he had been having were unlike the ones she had all those years ago. She had nightmares, Rayla eventually told him, about him frozen in ice, like her parents. But Callum knew that those were just nightmares.

His nightmares, though, they were signs from the stars. Answers to the questions he had been asking. If he didn’t go after and deal with Aaravos now, the price to stop Aaravos would much higher at the next opportunity. The price he would now was already more then he could bear. But if they tried to stop in ten years it would cost thousands of lives. It had to be now.

A few tears trailed down his cheeks as he breathed in the cool night air. He had seen their fate. And he hoped the stars were wrong. He needed them to be wrong.

Callum silently wished to Rayla, hoping that, somehow, his star arcanum would give his wish to her in her dreams. _I waited for you Rayla, for seven years. Please just wait for me for a few months. Please, I love you more than anything. I just have to stop Aaravos, and I’ll be back. Six months at the most. Please, don’t find someone else and leave me behind!_

Despite his pleas, Callum knew that Rayla would never hear them. He knew that she would move on and fall into an abusive relationship that would eventually kill her. But he also knew that if he didn’t stop Aaravos in the next three months, he would become immortal for ten years.

While he and Rayla could be happy and marry in that time, Aaravos would take the lives of their children, and the rest of their family before they would eventually kill him. Losing their lives in the process. Their last few years would be miserable. This was their only chance, to be together and something other than anger and vengeance.

_Destiny is a choice. But life is a river… You don’t know where you are going… You can only control yourself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aside from philosophical musings regarding destiny, fate and free will (I hope I remembered all the quotes correctly), I hope the knowledge that Callum had two chitty options amped up the angst to be sufficient of a angst month.
> 
> See you all later!


	31. Day Thirty: Toasty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Soren are captured by angry elves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry folks, had internet troubles. Today is the official end to Angstoberfest! So I am publishing everything left today.

Soren had given up screaming when he couldn’t scream anymore. Callum gave up long before that. Seemingly resigned to their fate. Something that Soren couldn’t accept.

“Callum!” Soren said as loud as he could, which amounted to little more than a whisper. “Callum, we have to get out of here.”

“What’s the point?” Callum despondently replied.

“To stay alive!” Soren whispered. He hoped, angrily.

“Rayla’s gone, my magic, useless against Skywing and Earthblood elves. And they think I’m using dark magic. We aren’t leaving dungeon, not through actions of our own.”

“Callum! We have to stay hopeful!” Soren rasped as he winced. The pain in his throat was getting worse. Even whispering was painful. “Cal-”

Footsteps echoing in darkness of the Earthblood dungeon silenced Soren. They grew louder and louder, until an Earthblood and a Skywing elf stepped into view. Barely illuminated by faint torch light, Soren could make out enough to see that they were wearing matching sneers.

Soren recognized the Earthblood elf as the one who had presided over their “trial”. Though was sham was more accurately. Apparently, the only criteria for being a dark magic user was lacking horns and having a pinky. Indeed, that was all the real evidence he had brought before the panel of judge. As if that wasn’t enough, he had made Callum strip naked and put magical berry juice on him. Even Soren had been able to understand that the berry glowed purple in the presence of magic. Any magic. Dark or primal. But somehow, because humans can’t connect to a primal, the fact that it glowed when Callum performed some of the spells he knew meant that they were both dark mages.

“Dark mages,” growled the Earthblood.

Soren growled back, “Fuck you! I am the captain of King Ezran of Katolis’ crown guard, and the sky mage next to me is Prince Callum of Katol-”

“Shut up!” the Skywing spat before his foot shot through the bars and connected with several of Soren’s teeth.

“Fuck!” Soren rasped in pain blood filled his mouth. Rolling over onto his knees Soren spat out the blood, seeing several teeth mixed in. As the door to cell squeaked open, Soren turned in time to see the foot. But not in time to avoid the foot.

Knocked on to his back, Soren’s vision faded as the elves appeared above him. With hateful, but joyous expressions on their faces. Before he completely faded, Soren managed to extend his hand towards them, his middle finger proudly raised.

Soren woke up to find that he could barely see. His face hurt, and he could feel the swelling. He felt like he was going to be sick, until the smell of alcohol and fire reached his nostrils. That cleared up his nausea immediately, as his survival instincts kicked in. He could tell that he was standing. His arms tied behind his back with rope, the knot was tight enough that it was biting into his wrists. He up against a stone slab.

Soren could also hear a chanting crowd. “Burn the dark mages” was interspersed with “Kill the humans” and “Justice”. Not a single voice called out about their sham trial, or their innocence. All where filled with vitriol and hate.

He winced as someone threw a soft bodied fruit at him. The fruit smashing into his left side, lighting up his throbbing nerves with fresh pain. Soren was just grateful that his eye was swollen shut, and he raspingly swore. “FUCK.”

Soren opened his right eyes and could barely make out familiar figures standing at the back of the crowd. A human. With a greying goatee. _D-D-Dad?_

Beside Viren was a star-touched elf, along with the Earthblood and Skywing from earlier. Soren wasn’t sure but it looked like his father was father.

“D-Dad,” Soren wheezed, trying to get a reaction from his father. They may not have parted on the best of terms, but… But surely Viren wouldn’t let his son die. Right? “Dad.”

Soren sucked in a breath as He dimly saw Viren hand his captors two pouches before turning to leave. “Dad you fucking asshole!” Soren cried out as loud as he could. Even though he knew his voice barely carried past the clearing in the crowd that he in.

Soren frowned as he realized that he was above the crowd. He looked to find himself atop of a massive of wood.

“I-I’m sorry, Soren.” Callum whispered from his left. Soren glanced over to see that Callum was tied up just like him.

Soren was about to ask why when a bright orange flame spread across Callum’s pile.

**_ Four weeks later… _ **

Rayla paused when she entered the clearing, Runaan coming to a stop just behind her. True to information, two charred skeletons were on the pillars. The skeletons of Claudia and Viren. It had to be. What other humans would be in the uncharted forest?

“If that’s them,” Runaan, “What’s next, Rayla? The dark mage, he- he showed something horrible.”

“What was it?”

“A mirror. A prison. Of a most dangerous elf.”

“Well that’s in Katolis, then.” Replied as she felt her flutter, thinking of the human she had left behind nearly two and half years prior.

“Where your human is?” Runaan questioned.

“Yes. I think I’ll stay there, with him. You’ll have the info you need to go to Zubeia,” Rayla as she turned to face Runaan.

“Will I get to meet this human?” Runaan asked, his face blank. No sign of disdain or teasing.

“Yes, if you promise not to kill him.” Rayla smiled.

“If you two are safe when you-”

“Runaan!” Rayla gasped, a blush spreading over her cheeks as she remembered her recent dreams and the birds-and-bees talk Runaan had with her. “We haven’t done that!”

Rayla resisted the urge to add _yet_. Because she was really hoping that yet was a good qualifier. Her feelings for Callum hadn’t diminished, and if the tales of the human mage she had been hearing were accurate, his own feelings for her had only grown.

“Come, on,” Runaan chuckled, the first of emotion on his face any time they talked about Callum. “Let’s go to Katolis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed what was supposed to be day thirty. Stupid fucking internet.


	32. Day Thirty-One: Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla is confronted with nightmare after nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright only got one more and then Angstoberfest! is over.

“NOOOO!” Rayla screamed as Callum threw himself onto her blades. “Callum…” Her lips trembled as Callum gasped and sputtered before exhaling and growing still. She cried until his image disappeared. Fading from sight like she had stared at the sun.

Rayla woke up with a gasped, rising to sit up. Her breath was ragged and rapid as the fear from her nightmares wore off. She had killed Callum or Ezran in all of those dreams. Including one where she and Callum had made love, only for her to stab him in his back while he had been on top of her.

Rayla shook her head as she remembered where she was. In their bedroom, with Callum, her husband. Married for four years. He had accepted her back, after she left him at the moon nexus. She had left him, but he waited for her. It might have taken her five years, to find her way back to him, but she did.

Rayla smiled warmly before turning her head to look at Callum. Her face fell and her heart stopped. Terror flooded her as she cried out, “Callum! No, no, no, no, no, no!”

Her husband was laying beside her, a dagger in his heart and his eyes wide open. She cupped his face and pulled him to her. He was so cold her skin, her fingertips felt like they were being burned. She closed her eyes as she sobbed.

Rayla opened her eyes and found herself facing off against Callum in a void. She could still feel his cold body on her fingertips. Even wit her weapons in hand.

Callum, meanwhile looked horrified. “Rayla, please don’t kill me again! Please!”

“I don’t want o Callum!” Rayla cried out her body moved towards Callum.

“Then don’t!”

I can’t control it Callum!” Rayla shouted as memories of the dozens of nightmares flooded back to her. “I-I can’t.”

Rayla grimaced as she slowly mover her hands against their own will. She was going to end this nightmare, once and for all. She cried out as both blades met and chilled her neck. She screamed with effort as she pulled down. Each of the swords biting into her neck and ending the nightmare.

Callum looked at the dark mages in front of him as they fell. The fulminous spell struck both, leaving a large whole going through both Claudia’s and Viren’s chest. The smell going cooked flesh filled the air at the same as a cry rang out from Rayla.

Callum turned, expecting to see the spell broken. Instead, he saw Rayla collapsed to the ground, her blades embedded in her neck. As a fountain red gushed from each side of her neck in long spurts. Herushed towards, not even pausing when an arcing jet of Rayla’s blood splattered itself across his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone like? Just wait for the last entry...


	33. Day Thirty-Two: Protecting Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claudia confronts Callum over the fact that she also loves Rayla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the last day of Angstoberfest! It has been a wild ride everybody. I'm glad you all were willing to take this ride with me!

Callum turned around, fear in his eyes as Claudia approached him. A dark purple aura around her, her eyes completely black, and an infuriated look on her face. She was growling angrily as she approached him, holding his sketchbook open.

“What. The. Fuck. Is. She. Doing. In. Here. With hearts around her!” Claudia shrieked, the fury in voice was undercut a by tone of jealousy.

“Rayla and I, we’re… Something.” Callum replied, one his hands ready to draw a rune.

“I’ve seen her, you know,” Claudia replied softly, her eyes returning to normal and the aura around her fading slightly. “Even got to interact with her. She’s… She’s really something.”

“Yeah,” Callum replied agreed warily.

“Why are you drawing her?”

“I love her,” Callum confessed, “she... she means everything to me.” Claudia’s cheeks tinged pink as she frowned during Callum’s confession.

“So, your crush on poor little old me?”

“It was gone after you betrayed us and tried to capture Ezran and I at the Moon Nexus.”

“I’ve talked to Rayla, a little bit. You know, between her trying to kill me and my dad. She told me all about her ‘white lie to protect those you love’.”

“Yeah? Callum dryly asked.

“She doesn’t love you, Callum. She just used you,” Claudia replied gently.

“You always were a bad liar, Claudia.” Callum quickly replied.

“Just go away, Callum. Leave I’ll forget I ever saw you.”

“Not until I find my girlfriend.”

“Callum… What if you two aren’t meant to be? You obviously aren’t good together if she left you behind.” Claudia countered, “I mean, how do you know that she wasn’t trying to dump you and too gentle about it in her letter?”

“Because I have faith in her, Claudia!” Callum growled as he stood up, “And I trust her. Why are you suddenly upset that I love Rayla?! You never cared when I had a crush on you.”

Callum’s shouting brought some of Claudia’s inner rage as she screamed out, “Because I’m in love with her!”

Claudia sighed, and her shoulder sagged downwards. “I love her too, Callum.”

“But she loves you, Callum,” Claudia said weakly as tears started falling. “But I will have her!”

Claudia picked her head as the dark color returned to her eyes and the aura around her flared. “I do not share!”

Rayla woke up with a gasp. She sucked in more air as her heart slowed its frantic pace. It had been years since she dreamed of that day, and never had Claudia been there. Rayla calmed as she felt a hand reach up and rub her bare shoulder.

“You okay, babe?” asked a voice from her left.

“Yeah, Claudia, I’m okay.” Rayla replied she grasped Claudia’s hand with one of her own, before laying back on the bed. Claudia promptly pulled her into a spooning position as the little spoon.

“You sure?” Claudia murmured tiredly in her ear.

“Yes. It was just a nightmare.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“It was Callum, again.”

Claudia was silent for a little bit before she spoke, “Been a while since that happened.”

“Yeah, I was dreaming of his last moments again.”

“I’m sorry, that’s got to be tough.” Claudia replied gently.

“At least I didn’t have to witness my father kill him. I’m so glad that you helped me stop him. I know that he was your dad and all bu-”

“Shhhh. That’s all in the past now,” Claudia yawned before Rayla felt her wife her closer.

“Besides,” Claudia murmured drowsily. “I don’t like to share.”

That sentence froze Rayla’s blood as she recalled her dream. Claudia had told Callum that right she killed him. Callum had been set on fire, and Viren preferred his collection. He and Aaravos had even tried to proclaim their innocence on killing Callum. The only crime of theirs that they didn’t proudly confess to. Soren still didn’t trust Claudia, which was the siblings hadn’t spoken in six years, even after Rayla returned with a rehabilitated Claudia.

Rayla felt tears form as the pieces fell together in her mind. The nightmare… it was a warning, just the one she had revolving Callum and Viren. _It… it can’t be true._

Rayla rolled over facing her wife of six months. She knew that Claudia couldn’t lie when she was this tired. Her brain just kind of… Spat out the truth. She had just never bothered to ask, because by the time she learned of this trick, she was head over heels for Claudia. She loved almost as much as she had Callum. Almost.

“Claudia, darling, I need you to tell me something, and be completely honest with me.”

“Of course, Rayla.” Claudia replied slowly.

“Did you kill Callum?”

“I loved you, but you were so in love with him. You’re mine, you were always mine, Rayla.” As Claudia spoke, Rayla's vision turned red and faded into darkness.

When Rayla came to, she was sitting on their bed with early morning light streaming through the window. Her horn cuffs and wedding band in one hand, and a bloody knife in the other. _I killed her… And she killed Callum. My Callum. Claudia fucking killed my love so that she could have me?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, hope you all enjoyed the last day. Now our hearts can rest easy.
> 
> That said, I would love to know from everyone, one last thing before we all give our hearts a break:
> 
> What are your favorite and (in your opinions) the most painful chapters of this collection?

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed, only day one of Angstoberfest!


End file.
